


Better For It

by nuttinonice



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Aged-Up Otabek Altin, Aged-Up Yuri Plisetsky, Bottom Yuri Plisetsky, Domestic, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, Kid Fic, Light Angst, Long-Haired Yuri Plisetsky, M/M, Minor Katsuki Yuuri/Victor Nikiforov, Smut, Top Otabek Altin, Yuri on Ice - Freeform, ongoing, otayuri - Freeform, yurabek
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-01
Updated: 2018-02-03
Packaged: 2019-01-07 21:51:27
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 26
Words: 145,425
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12241302
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nuttinonice/pseuds/nuttinonice
Summary: After a car accident in Kazakhstan, Otabek's the only family left for his little sister, Mara. Taking her in should be an easy yes, but for 23 year old Yuri, being a pseudo-parent, or being anything other than just a skater and a boyfriend had never crossed his mind. There has to be a way to make things work. Stay on the ice and take care of a toddler, take care of Otabek, make enough money to feed the three of them. He at least has to try." Otabek was going to adopt a kid? That was something permanent. He felt like a horrible person for not immediately jumping to support that, but Mara was only, what? Four? Maybe five? Of course Otabek should take her in, but what did that mean for Yuri? He was only twenty-three and they both had careers. Their relationship couldn’t possibly be ready for something like that. He didn’t know what to say. "





	1. Chapter One - New Beginnings

**Author's Note:**

> Hey so this is my first ongoing fic, I write pretty far in advance, so I'll be updating frequently and the more feedback I get, the faster I update, so please give me your feedback and PLEASE subscribe if you want to keep reading! Note that this fic ignores canon ages! Even though Otabek and Yuri are aged up to early/mid twenties, Victor and Yuuri are both in their very late twenties for this fic.

“ _Shit_.” Yuri hissed, jerking his hand away from the hot handle of the pot and sucking on the spot where he’d burned his thumb. He was such an awful cook, but Otabek was having a rough time and he didn’t want to make him do any of the housework. Otabek would always try not to let it on when he was hurting, but Yuri knew him well enough to tell. They’d been living together for a little over a year now, Yuri having moved into Otabek’s place when he was twenty-one, after Otabek’s parents kicked him out and he was able to move to Russia and get his own place. Now he was twenty-three, Otabek having just turned twenty-five. It was pretty well balanced. Yuri did the cleaning and Otabek did the cooking. They had almost the same practice schedule, but Otabek’s was a little rougher these days. It was the off season, but he was working insanely hard to up his jump composition and it took a lot of practice. Yuri felt bad sometimes, always winning over him, but Otabek seemed to take it pretty well.

            Lately though, Otabek had been exhausted. He went through a rough patch after getting kicked out, not really from losing his parents, but he got separated from his little sister and he hadn’t been able to see her since. Yuri knew how much that hurt him, so whenever Otabek was moping around, he tried to pick up the slack around the apartment and do what he could to keep him happy. He really did suck at cooking though. He was just making pasta and had already burned himself three times and started over once. He looked cute in an apron though.

            “Beka, dinner’s almost done!” He called out, slipping on an oven mitt to take the pasta off the stove and turning off the heat. Yuri waited a second for Otabek’s usual call back, saying he’d be right there, but nothing came. He probably had those stupid headphones on.

Yuri poured the hot water into the sink and slapped some of the spaghetti onto two plates, slathering it in store-bought sauce since he’d never succeeded in making his own. “Beka, come eat!” Yuri called again, setting the two plates on the table and pouring two glasses of wine. Ugh, he was probably mixing music or something. He loved Otabek’s music stuff, but he hated those noise cancelling headphones. “Otabe-“ He started to shout again before Otabek emerged from their bedroom, teary-eyed and trembling a little, his mouth quivering like he was trying his hardest not to sob. “Holy shit, Beka what happened?” Yuri said, rushing over and putting his hands on Otabek’s shoulders. He’d seen Otabek in some deep depressive episodes before and it scared the shit out of him seeing his usually tough-skinned boyfriend with eyes pink and his hands shaking. “Baby, if you’re feeling this bad you have to tell me how to help.”

            “Fuck, I-I um… I-I’m not just sad. I just… Fuck, Jesus Christ I don’t know how to say it.” Otabek shook his head and put a hand over his mouth.

            “Beka, you have to talk to me.” Yuri said, bringing one hand to Otabek’s cheek.

            “C-Can we sit?”

            “Yeah, come here.” Yuri said, trying to keep his voice soft as he lead Otabek over to the table, pulling his chair around to sit next to him. “What’s going on?”

            “I-I um, I got a phone call.” He sniffled, wiping his eyes and looking down at his lap like he was afraid to meet Yuri’s eyes.

            “Yeah? And?”

            “M-My um… My parents, there was um… Th-There was a car accident? I-I don’t know the details, I just know that um… M-Mara was in the car and she’s okay because she was in the back, but they didn’t make it.”

            “Oh my God. Beka.” Yuri’s stomach turned. He knew Otabek was never too attached to them, but he lost his parents when he was young and he knew how horrible it felt. “Hey, it’s gonna be okay. You’ve gotten by without them. I’m sure they-“

            “It’s not about them.” Otabek croaked. “I-I mean it sucks, but fuck, they were terrible people Yura.”

            “Yeah, but still, I mean you must be really hurting.”

            “It’s not why I’m crying. Please don’t hate me.” Otabek swallowed, finally looking up to meet his eyes and reaching out to grab both of Yuri’s hands.

            “What?” Yuri blinked. “Why would I hate you?”

            “The person who called me was a social worker. I-I um… I-I’m the only other family Mara has and she needs someone to take care of her.”

            “Otabek, I would never stop you from taking in your sister for God’s sake, why would I-“

            “Yuri, I have to adopt her.”

            His heart stopped. Otabek was going to adopt a kid? That was something permanent. He felt like a horrible person for not immediately jumping to support that, but Mara was only, what? Four? Maybe five? Of course Otabek should take her in, but what did that mean for Yuri? He was only twenty-three and they both had careers. Their relationship couldn’t possibly be ready for something like that. He didn’t know what to say.

            “I know this isn’t fair to you.” Otabek sniffed, holding Yuri’s hands tighter. “And I love you so much, Yura. So insanely much, but don’t feel like you have to stay. I mean I don’t even know if I’ll be able to keep skating. I-I’m basically going to be a dad and I don’t want to steal your life away from you because I have to do this.”

            “What? Otabek, I’m not leaving you.” Yuri had a lot of intense fears about all of this and he felt dizzy just thinking about it, but he knew that he wasn’t going to go anywhere. They’d have to find a way to make it work. “Beka, this is… This is a lot.” He swallowed. “And I don’t think either of us are ready to be parents, but if this is what’s happening, then I’m doing it with you. We’ll figure it out. I’m not gonna leave you on your own to raise a kid and if we do this together, we can keep skating.”

            “Are you sure? I-I mean, Yuri she is going to have to come before absolutely everything. Before skating, before our time together, before every single other thing in our lives and I swear that if you stay that I’ll make you carry as little of the weight as possible, but if you’re in her life, you have to love her too and you’ll have to sacrifice.”

            “I know.” Yuri nodded, although he wasn’t sure if he really could do all of that. He knew he would try though. He knew if he failed, he would keep trying. “Beka, she’s your sister. I know how much you love her and I love you, so she’s my family too.” He was scared shitless, but Otabek needed someone to tell him it was okay. He couldn’t do this alone.

            “Are you really, really sure? You can’t let her get attached to you and then leave.”

            “Otabek. We’re doing this.” Yuri said, his voice wavering when he said it, but he meant that. “How does everything work? W-When is she coming?”

            “We have a week.” Otabek swallowed. “W-We have one week to get ready for her, then a social worker is going to fly her here and we’ll pick her up at the airport. They’re faxing me all the paperwork to get started right now. I’ll be the sole legal guardian because um… I-I mean, like I said, I don’t want to tie you down with this, but there’s no gay adoption in this country. I’ll be a foster parent until the adoption goes through.”

            “Okay.” Holy fucking shit. “A week.”

            “She needs a room. She’ll have all of her clothes and her books and her toys and stuff, I’m gonna start arranging for it all to be sent in a few days. We need little kid food, fuck, I’m gonna have to research how to feed her properly. If we’re gonna try and keep skating, we have to find a daycare, o-or a nanny. I know we both make decent salaries for people our age, but I don’t think we can afford a nanny, so daycare.” Otabek wiped his eyes again and sighed. “There’s not enough time.”

            “Hey, it’s gonna be fine.” Yuri said even if he wasn’t too sure of himself. “I’m here, okay? We’ll work it out. Let’s do as much as we can tonight, then let’s cut practice short tomorrow morning and tell Yakov about everything.”

            “Okay.” Otabek nodded. “Um… Yura, I want you to keep skating full time okay? I’d die if I took that away from you, but also we’re gonna need the money. You make three times as much as me, you have fans, y-you take gold at every other competition. We’ll need that.”

            “I can do that, but I’ll do whatever I can to make sure you can keep skating okay? I can take care of her when you go to compete and vice versa. Victor and Yuuri will help too I’m sure. They’ve been talking about having a baby lately, so they’d probably love to babysit right?”

            “Yeah.” Otabek smiled a little bit and let go of Yuri’s hands, leaning forward to hug him. “Thank you so much.”

            “Don’t thank me, you’d do the same.” Yuri cooed as he hugged him back extra tight. “We’ll make this work.”

            “I love you.”

            “I love you too, Beka.” He kissed the top of Otabek’s head and kept one hand rubbing his back. “Take some deep breaths.”

            Otabek did and they stayed like that for a few minutes, holding on to each other. Yuri had enough anxiety welled up to cry himself, but he kept it together. The whole thing was scary, but it had to be a hundred times scarier for Otabek and Yuri wasn’t going to make him go through that alone. He was worried sick that Mara wouldn’t like him. He’d never been good with kids, but Otabek was amazing with them. Maybe he’d learn a thing or two.

            “Do you want to eat?” Yuri asked when they finally pulled away from each other, bringing his hand up to wipe the tear tracks off of his boyfriend’s cheeks.

            “Maybe in a little. I’ll eat it, I swear, I know how much of a struggle it is for you to cook.” He laughed a little. “Just um… Let me settle down a little.”

            “Of course.” Yuri pressed his lips to the older boy’s forehead and stood up, slipping a hair tie off of his wrist so he could tie his hair up. “This is gonna be my mom look.”

            “Yeah?” Otabek grinned.

            “Mhm.” Yuri put his hands on his hips and did a little twirl. “You digging the apron look?”

            “You actually do look cute.”

            “Do you think Mara’s gonna like me?”

            “She’s gonna love you.” Otabek smiled, his cheeks pink. “She was obsessed with dolls last time I saw her and you kind of have Barbie hair.”

            “Is that good?”

            “I love your hair.”

            Yuri smiled back at him and untied the apron, slipping it off to hang on the wall hook behind him. “Hey, I know you have a mountain of paperwork to do, but let me cheer you up a little, okay?”

            “What do you wanna do?”

            “Well, you always feel better after a shower, so…” Yuri shrugged. “Wanna hop in with me? I think we should just get your mind off of everything for a little bit and then we can sit down and we can start to figure all of this stuff out and I’ll help with the paperwork.”

            “That sounds pretty good.” Otabek said, standing up and planting a kiss on Yuri’s cheek. “Thank you for being so amazing.”

            “I’ve been with you for years, Beka. I’m here to help.” Yuri took his hand and lead him through the apartment to the bathroom that connected to their bedroom. They’d have to fix up the guest bathroom for Mara, but shit, was the kid even potty trained? Four seemed pretty old not to be. He pushed that thought aside for later and locked the bathroom door, pulling Otabek into a kiss to get him feeling nice and warm. “Hey, it’s all gonna be okay.” He whispered against Otabek’s lips, nuzzling their noses together for a moment. “Let me take care of you tonight.”

            “I love you so fucking much.”

            “I know you do.” Yuri stepped back and peeled his shirt off before turning the water on. “Get the lube that’s under the sink.”

            “Oh shit you’re really going for it.”

            “Well if we’re about to have a kid around, you should probably fuck me while we can still make noise, right?”

            “Yeah.” Otabek blinked. “Shit, that’s gonna really uh…”

            “We’ll deal. I’m not gonna stop having sex with you.” Yuri stripped himself the rest of the way down and let Otabek do the same before he stepped into the shower, sighing as the hot water ran over him.

            “You look really pretty like that.” Otabek said, stepping in and pulling the curtain shut.

            “Here, you get under the water.” Yuri stepped around him and eased Otabek under the showerhead, taking the bottle of lube from his hand and setting it on the side of the tub. He picked up the body wash instead and lathered his hands up, pressing a kiss to the corner of Otabek’s mouth when he started to wash his chest and shoulders. “Do you feel okay?”

            “I think so.” Otabek took a deep breath. “Yeah.”

            “I mean, let’s just look at the positives of this okay? Mara wasn’t going to be okay in that house as she got older. Now she’s gonna have you and you’ll finally get to see her again.”

            “Yeah.” Otabek repeated, smiling a little this time. “I’m really happy she’s not gonna have to grow up with our parents. I hate that all of this happened and that she’s, I mean, fuck, she’s gotta be traumatized, but I know I can take care of her.”

            “I know you can too. You might have to teach me a little.” Yuri brought one soapy hand up to cup Otabek’s cheek and turned his head to kiss him, sighing into the mouth of this amazingly sweet and sensitive boy that he loved so much. The more he thought about it, the more he felt like it was for the better. Being kept from his baby sister tore Otabek up inside. It would be hard at first, but once they found a balance, maybe this whole thing would turn out great. Yuri stepped closer as they kissed, pressing their chests together as he licked Otabek’s mouth open in shy little motions, not wanting to overwhelm him, but Otabek’s hands came up to his hips and he deepened the kiss on his own. Yuri took one of those hands and guided it around to his ass, giving Otabek the permission he always waited for. “Do whatever you want.” He said, planting one more kiss on Otabek’s lips before handing him the lube and turning around.

            “Don’t say it like that. I want you to feel good too.”

            “I know, I’m just saying.” Yuri shrugged, blushing as he heard Otabek slicking up his fingers behind him. “I want to focus on you right now.”

            “I feel good when you feel good.” Otabek said, pressing his lips to the back of Yuri’s neck as his hand drifted down to start preparing him. “I promise I’m not gonna neglect you when Mara comes, okay? Our sex life isn’t gonna die.”

            “It better not. I mean if I have to make you blow me in the locker rooms at the rink, I will.”

            “Fair enough.” Otabek shrugged. “We could do that anyways.”

            “Oh my God.” Yuri snickered, his cheeks turning pink as Otabek’s hand came around to touch him. “Maybe tomorrow.”


	2. Chapter Two - Make It Work

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So what do you do when you have a week to bring a kid into your house? You make sure Victor and Yuuri are prepared to babysit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let me know what you guys think! This is first fic I've staggered chapter by chapter.

            Yuri had gotten Otabek cheered up momentarily, but it wasn’t an easy night. The paperwork was overwhelming and so was the to do list they made together. When they went to bed, Otabek tossed and turned, still tearing up. Yuri suspected he was a lot more upset by his parent’s deaths than he was letting on, but he didn’t ask questions, just comforted him. At least with having to focus on taking care of Otabek, he wasn’t as freaked out about becoming pretty much a parent.

            When Otabek finally fell asleep, Yuri crashed hard and they woke up at six a.m. for practice, completely exhausted.

            “Yakov will understand.” Yuri sighed as they walked up to the rink, thirty minutes late with dark circles under their eyes. “Even he’s not cruel enough to curse us out after what we just found out. Victor and Yuuri will be in there, so let’s tell everyone together.”

            “Can you do the talking?” Otabek asked in a wobbly voice. “I… I-I can’t.”

            “Yeah, of course.” Yuri’s heart sank, hearing him so sad and he reached over to hold his hand. “Come on, it’ll be okay.”

            They walked inside together and made their way to the ice, Yuri carrying the duffel bag with their skates and water bottles. He felt pretty shaken up himself, but he could handle being yelled at. Otabek was tough in a lot of ways. He had a crazy high tolerance for pain, he never let failure get to him, or losing, he’d stand up for himself and for Yuri any time he needed to, but if he was down like this, or he was hurting, it was a short trip for someone to make him cry and Yuri wasn’t going to let Yakov’s screaming do that to him in front of everyone.

            “OI!” Yakov shouted, right on queue as he stomped up to them. “You think you can just walk in here thirty minutes late? You two look like death, what, are you partying every night now? You know the off season is short and if you don’t get your shit together-“

            “ _Yakov_.” Yuri hissed, glaring. “Something happened, okay? We were up all night.”

            “Doing what?”

            Yuri huffed and rolled his eyes, looking out at the ice where Victor and Yuuri were practicing together. He waved them down and squeezed Otabek’s hand when he shouted. “Hey! I need you guys to come over here a second!”

            Victor blinked at him, but shrugged his shoulders and skated towards the edge of the ice, gesturing for Yuuri to follow him.

            “Yuratchka you have a lot of nerve, showing up late and disrupting other peoples practice too.” Yakov scowled, but Yuri didn’t say a word until Victor and Yuuri were standing next to him.

            “What’s up?” Victor asked while Yuuri gave them a shy wave hello.

            Yuri took a deep breath and looked Yakov in the eye first when he started. “Beka’s parents died.”

            “What?” Yakov’s face fell as he turned to look at Otabek. “You know you don’t have to come into practice if something like that is happening, I mean Christ, it’s alright to stay home.”

            “That’s not all of it. We needed to come in and let everyone know what’s gonna happen.” Yuri bit his lip and looked at Victor for the next part. “His little sister needs a place to go and we can’t let her go into the foster system. Otabek’s adopting her. She’s coming to live with us and we’re gonna basically be her parents now. She’s four. We’re gonna need all the help we can get.”

            “Oh my God, guys.” Yuuri blinked. “Are you sure you can do that? I mean you’re so young and-“

            “We know.” Yuri nodded. “We’re doing it anyways.”

            “What can we do?”

            “If you guys could babysit now and then that would be big for us.” He turned back to Yakov. “Me and Otabek need to have the exact same practice schedule so that we know exactly when her daycare hours will be and so we’re both home with her most nights.”

            Yakov nodded in understanding.

            “Victor, what’s the status on the baby?” Yuri asked, hoping that the adoption the two of them were taking on was still in the early stages. If Victor and Yuuri had a baby of their own, he’d feel a lot worse about asking them to babysit. Plus, they were both staying in competition and hiring a full time nanny when the baby arrived.

            “The surrogate’s due in about a month, so…” Victor shrugged. “We’ll be around. We can take on another kid now and then especially for you guys.”

            “Okay, thanks, I know it’s gonna get kind of crazy around here, but… Hey.” Yuri stopped when he heard Otabek sniffle beside him. “It’s okay.” He whispered to him, leaning over to kiss his cheek. “You good?”

            Otabek bit his lip and nodded, blinking his eyes fast as he looked away.

            “You boys should go home.” Yakov said, his usually cold eyes full of concern as he watched Otabek fight those tears.

            “Actually, we really want to skate for a little today before we have to take the rest of the week off to get ready for her.”

            “You’re taking her in a week?”

            “Yeah.” Yuri grimaced. “We are.”

            “Otabek, if you need to take a season off, or Yuri if you-“

            “No.” Yuri shook his head. “We’re gonna make it work for both of us. No matter what happens, I’m gonna be skating full time to make sure we have enough money to take care of Mara, but we’re gonna do all we can to keep Otabek form having to give it up too.” He felt Otabek squeeze his hand and stepped a little closer to him.

            Everyone stood in silence for a brief moment, unsure of what should really be said next. What do you say when two early twenty year olds have to suddenly adopt a toddler? Victor broke it and stepped forward on his skates to hug Otabek in that loving, Victor way that he always did when someone was upset. “You’re strong. You’ll be fine.”

            Otabek smiled a little and let go of Yuri’s hand, so he could hug him back. “Thanks Victor.”

            “What can we do for you before she comes?”

            “We’ve got it covered. She still has all of her clothes and everything.” Otabek pulled back from him and bit his lip, looking over at Yuuri. “Hey I’m sorry if this is rude to ask, but I know that you’ve gone through therapy and shit for your anxiety and all. Could you help me find a grief counselor that works with little kids? I have no idea how to find one and I know she has to need it.”

            “I know where you can look.” Yuuri nodded. “Sure.”

            “Thank you.” Otabek sighed in relief. “One more thing.”

            “Anything.”

            “Would you guys be her god parents? You don’t have to do any of the religious stuff, just if you could agree on paper and anything to be her guardians if God forbid, something happened to us, I’d want you guys to have her.”

            Yuuri grinned and looked over at Victor. “Of course, right?”

            “Yeah.” Victor nodded. “We’d be happy to.”

            “Great. We’ll bring her to meet you guys when she gets settled in.” Otabek took a deep breath and reached over to take the duffel bag off Yuri’s shoulder. “Let’s go skate for a little before we get down to everything we have to do today.”

            “Sure.” Yuri gave him a little nudge in the side and went to sit down on one of the benches, so he could change his shoes. “You guys can get back to practice, I think we’re good.”

            “Yeah.” Otabek agreed, thanking them all again before sitting down next to Yuri to get his skates on. He still looked a little teary eyed, but Yuri was glad that he was staying strong.

            Skating did help. They made it fun and focused on being together, helping each other with their jumps and switching places every now and then to make sure they both got real work done. Part of Yuri was starting to get a little excited about some aspects of having a kid. The first thing he wanted to do was buy her skates. It would be something for all of them to do together and maybe he’d take the lead on teaching her. She didn’t have to take it seriously, but it would be fun. Four was old enough to skate even if all you really do when you’re that little is slide around on the ice. He started around that age himself.

They spent a little more time on the ice than they meant to, goofing off a little with Otabek spinning Yuri around and lifting him just because he could and they’d spent a few weeks staying late to learn some ice dancing moves for the hell of it. He forgot how insanely strong Otabek was sometimes and with how light he was himself, they’d learned to do all kinds of crazy lifts. Otabek could lift him with one hand when he tried.

            They had to split up a little after they went home, Yuri clearing out their spare room while Otabek ran to find furniture for Mara. He took down all the trophies and put most of them in the closet, keeping all of his and Otabek’s medals and hanging them up in their bedroom. He put a few of Otabek’s trophies in there too where there was space. He didn’t want them hidden since Otabek usually needed some confidence out on the ice. He had to dismantle the whole DJ station too, but after rearranging the whole bedroom, he fit the dresser in one corner and the table with all of Otabek’s music equipment in another. Things were a little tighter, but that was fine. The empty room was definitely big enough for a little girl after all that and they’d make sure to have a bed and a dresser there, hopefully a toy chest too.            

            When Otabek got back, it was with two moving guys who helped them bring a dismantled bed and a dresser all the way to their fourth floor apartment.

            “Do we have to baby proof?” Otabek asked, staring with wide eyes at the pile of metal and wooden parts they had to put together. “Is four too old for baby proofing? What if she runs into the coffee table?”

            “I think four is old enough that we don’t have to cover every corner.” Yuri said, the blue prints for assembly splayed out in front of him as he tried to lay out the bed frame pieces. “Let’s just make sure the bed isn’t too high in case she falls.”

            “What if she hits her head?”

            “Shit, I guess we should get a rug to put under this.”

            “Should I go out again? I-I’ll go out again.”

            “No, Babe.” Yuri laughed. “Hey, take a deep breath. We have time. Just help me get the bed together and then we’ll worry about the next thing.”

            “Okay.” Otabek breathed, running a hand through his hair. “What color should we paint the room? I don’t wanna do pink, I hate how crazy my parents were about gender roles. I want her growing up without all that shit.”

            “Red?”

            “Yeah.” Otabek grinned. “Red, that’s great. She likes bugs and stuff. I can put some lady bugs up.”

            Yuri’s heart warmed at how excited he sounded. It was cute. “Sure. Can I buy her ice skates? I thought um… I mean I might have a lot of trouble getting to know a little kid, so I thought that I could teach her that and then she might like me.”

            “Yeah of course. That’d be adorable.” Otabek walked over and kissed the top of his head, kneeling down next to him to take a look at the instructions. “Okay, I think I know how to do this.”

            “Good because I don’t.”

            “Do you want to go buy the rug then?”

            Yuri rolled his eyes. “You’re too focused on the rug.”

            “Can you get the paint?”

            “Yeah.” He sighed, pushing himself up and giving Otabek a kiss on his forehead. “Get the sheets out to cover the floor though and start taping up the edges so we can get started on the paint job today.”

            “Got it.” Otabek smiled, reaching out to grab Yuri’s hand, so he could kiss it. “Thank you.”

            “Mm you could really thank me by making dinner. I think I’m gonna poison us if I try to cook again tonight.”

            “How about I order pizza?”

            “You’re trying to fatten me up for the season.” Yuri took his hand away, but bent down to give him a proper kiss on the lips. “I’ll be right back.”

            “Be safe.”

            “I will.” Yuri said, touching the tip of Otabek’s nose to make him blush before he turned to leave. “Call me if you need something else.”

**

            Yuri had the benefit of calming the fuck down about the entire situation since Otabek was freaking out for the both of them. That first day of getting ready went pretty okay, but when they went to put the dresser together the next day, Otabek got so messed up over not being able to figure out how to put it together at first that he started hyperventilating. Yuri had to drag him to bed and hold him until he stopped panicking about doing everything wrong.

            “She’s gonna hate me, fuck, Mom and Dad spoiled her so much and I’m barely gonna be able to give her anything and she might not even remember me, Yura. I-I might be like a total stranger to her and what if-“

            “Shhh, Baby you gotta stop.” Yuri cooed, spooning him from behind. “It’s all gonna be okay. If she doesn’t remember you, then she’ll get to know you. She’ll still have all of her old toys too, so don’t worry about her being spoiled before. She’s little. She’ll love you for taking care of her.”

            “Do you really think so?”

            “If she loves you half as much as I do, I think you’ll be in good shape.” Yuri pressed his lips to the back of Otabek’s neck and squeezed. “Just take some deep breaths and calm down.”

            “I’m sorry for being like this.” Otabek sighed. “I know it’s stressful enough for you having a kid come into our lives and now I’m a mess and-“

            “Beka stopppp. I love you and I’m here, so hush. No more apologizing.” Yuri leaned over him and planted a kiss on the corner of his mouth. “Would painting the room make you feel better? It might help you relax.”

            “In a minute.” Otabek breathed, putting his hand over Yuri’s and lacing their fingers together. “Hold me just a few more minutes.”

            The painting helped. They put on old clothes that they could easily ruin and splattered it all over each other, Otabek sneaking up from behind and sliding his hands up Yuri’s shirt whenever he stretched up with the paint roller. It took them the entire day to paint the whole room red, but it ended with Otabek tackling Yuri onto the floor and peppering his face in kisses, tickling him until he was laughing so hard, he couldn’t breathe. They nearly had sex right there, but they didn’t want to do something like that in Mara’s new room, so Otabek picked Yuri up and carried him to bed, laid him down and peeled off his clothes.

            Yuri panted for him, his body hot and covered in sweat as things went on and Otabek made love to him with so much emotion and so much passion while still making him laugh throughout. God, if there was anyone he could be a parent with, this was the guy. They laid in bed forever after that, just kissing, laughing at stupid little things. That was when Yuri really started to feel okay about the entire situation. He was with someone that he loved. He’d probably marry Otabek one day anyways, have a baby of their own with him, the whole nine yards. They were just speeding things along a little bit.

            The next day, they got all the bedding, a white cover with ladybugs printed all over, and they put decals on the walls, went out and bought her a toy chest. They did some reading on what kind of diet she should maintain and went ahead and bought her at least a weeks worth of meals then texted Victor and Yuuri what she needed to so they could stock their kitchen a little bit.

            Things got a little hectic after that, scrambling to get all the paperwork done and even with Yuuri’s help, it was tough finding a grief counselor that specialized in little kids and even tougher to find a daycare. They found one in time though, one that could take her all day if needed, but they decided to do absolutely everything they could to keep her in there for as little time as possible.

            The day before she got there, her clothes and other belongings arrived. Yuri didn’t realize how stressed they both were about having a little girl until then. He didn’t know anything other than how to do her hair. Who on Earth was gonna give the kid the sex talk in a few years? The outfits were pretty adorable though, all tiny and brightly colored. They folded everything and organized her dresser, but she was still too young to dress herself, so it was more for them than for her.

There was nothing they could do to learn how to raise a kid in under a week, but they figured they’d have to learn as they went along and just do their best, take Yuuri and Victor’s advice. Those two had started parenting classes a month ago, so hopefully they’d have a few answers.

            “Do you think we’re really gonna be able to do this?” Otabek asked, biting his lip as he looked over the finished bedroom. “I mean what if she gets sick while she’s at daycare and we’re away?”

            “I think we’re gonna have to get a nanny for when we travel.” Yuri sighed. “Hopefully we won’t have a lot of the same assignments, so one of us can always be home, but I love skating with you.”

            “Me too.” Otabek hooked his arm around Yuri’s waist to pull him closer and sighed. “This is gonna be hard.”

            “Really hard.”

            “You’re sure you’re happy? With all this?”

            “Yeah.” Yuri smiled, looking at the cute little lady bug wall decals and leaning his head on Otabek’s shoulder. “I figured if I ever had a kid with anyone, it would be you. I guess we’re just doing it a little sooner than expected.”

            “That’s a cute way to put it.”

            “And you’re sure you’re okay with your parents and all? I mean I don’t wanna make you upset by talking about it, but… I mean, you know you _can_ talk about it right?”

            “I know.” Otabek shrugged.

            “So?”

            “So what?”

            “You wanna talk about it?”

            “Nope.” Otabek took his arm away and pressed a quick kiss to Yuri’s lips before walking off towards the kitchen. “I’m gonna go start dinner.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Smh Otabek, talk about your feelings. Chapter three will be up Thursday, or Friday and it'll be a longer one. Please make sure to subscribe to me and to this fic if you want to keep reading! Feedback means everything, so the more I get, the faster I update.


	3. Chapter Three - Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She's here y'all!

            “Are you ready?” Yuri asked, one hand on Otabek’s back as they waited at the airport terminal. Otabek looked absolutely terrified and he was afraid he might freak out about this at the last second, so he was trying his best to keep him calm.

            “I am, I’m just nervous. She might not even remember me.”

            “She’ll get to know you again. I mean, she doesn’t know me at all and I’m bad with kids, so I think you’re pretty golden.”

            Otabek took a deep breath and put his arms around Yuri’s shoulders just for comfort. “This is gonna be hard.”

            “I know.” Yuri nodded. “We’ll make it work.”

            “The flight landed ten minutes ago, shouldn’t they be coming out?”

            “Any minute, Babe. Just be patient.” Yuri said, rubbing his back as they watched the gate. “See, look, people are coming out.” A few passengers with suitcases had started to walk out of the gate, none of them with children yet. He had no idea what he was looking for. He didn’t know what Mara looked like, or what the social worker escorting her looked like either. Yuri was still scanning faces when he felt Otabek tense completely beside him. “What?”

            “That’s her.” He said, pointing at a little girl in a red dress walking hand in hand with an older woman in a pantsuit.

            “Holy shit.” She looked just like Otabek. The texture of her hair and the tan skin, dark eyes. “Beka, should we-“ Before Yuri could finish, Otabek bolted from him, running to close the few yards between him and his sister before he fell down to his knees and held her shoulders, Yuri running up behind him.

            “Mara, it’s me.” Otabek said, tears in his eyes as he looked at her. “Do you remember me? I haven’t seen you in a while, but I’m your big brother.”

            She blinked and stared at him a moment before nodding her head. “Hi.”

            “You remember?”

            “Uh huh. You gave me my dolly on my third birthday.” She said, pointing to her backpack where she must have stored it. “Mom said you moved.”

            “Yeah.” Otabek laughed, a tear down his cheek as he pulled her into a careful hug. She was smaller than his chest, so he held her gently, but still tight. “I missed you so much.”

            Mara just giggled from the hug and planted a little kiss on Otabek’s cheek. “Am I really coming to live with you?”

            “Of course you are, Silly.” Otabek smiled as he pulled back and wiped his eyes. “Come here.” He stood up and took her along with him, holding her tight as he grinned over at the social worker. “Are we all good? Can we just take her home?”

            “You’re all good.” She answered, looking a little teary eyed herself. “You have my contact information right?”

            He nodded.

            “Great. Call me if you have any questions.”

            “We will.” Otabek said, waiting for her to walk away before he turned towards Yuri and gave Mara another kiss on her forehead. “Hey, you want to meet someone?”

            She gave a shy little nod and waved at Yuri, who gave an equally nervous wave back. He hadn’t expected her to be so happy. The kid’s parents had just died, did little kids just not process that kind of thing? How were they supposed to deal with that?

            “This is Yuri. He’s gonna be living with us and taking care of you just like me, okay? So if you ever need anything and I’m not there, all you have to do is ask him. Got it? We’re gonna be just like Mom and Dad for you.”

            “I like his hair.” She whispered, hiding her face a little in Otabek’s neck. “He’s pretty.”

            Yuri’s face turned red and he reached up to let it down, shaking it out a bit, so she could see the length.

            “Wait that’s too long.” Mara giggled and Yuri laughed a little too at that.

            “Sorry?” He shrugged his shoulders. “Hey it’s easier to braid. You wanna learn how?”

            She nodded again and Yuri felt better. “Is he my brother too?” She asked Otabek and they both laughed pretty hard again. Shit, that was pretty cute.

            “Uh, no, no.” Otabek blushed, holding on to her with one arm as he reached out to hold Yuri’s hand. “He’s my boyfriend. We love each other just like Mom and Dad did, yeah?”

            “Boys can do that?”

            “Mm, we’ve got a lot to unteach you from Mom and Dad.” He sighed, kissing her head again. “Anyone can love anyone, yeah? Boys can love boys and girls can love girls. See?” Otabek leaned over and planted a kiss on Yuri’s lips for one short moment, making Mara giggle and squirm around in his grip.

            Yuri blushed hard when he pulled away. He couldn’t believe how natural all of this was coming to Otabek. He didn’t even know what to say to the kid, but Otabek was talking to her like they’d never even been separated.

            “You wanna go home and see your room now? Are you hungry?”

            “I wanna see my room.” She said and Otabek obliged, squeezing Yuri’s hand as he lead them all away. “Yuri?”

            “Huh?” Yuri blinked, looking over at her as they walked. “Yeah?”

            “Why’s your hair yellow?”

            “Oh. Uhh,” He blinked. “I was born with it?”

            “She’s never seen anyone in real life that’s blonde.” Otabek chuckled. “I think she thought it might just be dolls and Cinderella.”

            They walked all the way out to the parking lot and Yuri was panicking a little bit. Why was he so bad at this? What do you say to a four year old? Otabek made it look so easy and he wondered if that was because they were siblings, or if he was just that amazing with kids. At least Mara seemed fine as they walked up to the car.

            “Here, let’s get you in your car seat.” Otabek said, opening the car door, but Mara clung tight to him and shook her head. “What’s wrong?”

            “No.” She whined, hiding her face in his neck.

            Shit, the car crash. The poor thing was probably traumatized beyond belief.

            “Oh.” Otabek grimaced. “Hey listen, it’s totally safe okay? I’m gonna drive and you’ll be extra safe in the car seat.”

            Mara shook her head and whined some more, fidgeting in his arms.

            “We have to get you home some how, yeah? There isn’t anything to be afraid of. Tell you what.” He looked to Yuri. “Yuri will sit in the back with you and hold your hand okay? Will that make you feel safe?”

            She let out a little sniffle and Yuri’s heart ached. Jesus, she was just a baby. He felt awful that she was scared of something as mundane as riding in a car.

            “Hey.” Yuri murmured, walking up and tucking her hair behind her ear, so she could see him. “It’ll be fine. I’ll protect you okay? We both will. Nothing bad’s gonna happen. You trust me?”

            She looked at him for a moment then gave a tiny nod.

            “Do you um, want me to strap you in?”

            She gave him that little nod and loosened her grip on Otabek, letting Yuri pick her up and take off the backpack, setting it next to the car seat before he put her down and buckled her in, fumbling a little bit with it at first, but it was secure when he tugged on it, so he must have done it right.

            “Is that okay?”

            Mara sniffled again, but told him okay.

            “Thank you.” Otabek whispered to him, planting a kiss on his cheek before he walked around the car to climb into the drivers seat.

            Yuri slid in next to Mara’s car seat and shut the door while Otabek started the car. Her hands were super small, so he gave her his index finger to hold and he thought that was pretty cute.

            “Are you both strapped in?”

            “We’re good.” Yuri said, reaching over to test the buckle on her car seat one more time before Otabek pulled out of the parking space and Mara gasped like she’d just seen a ghost. “Hey, shh. It’s okay.” He murmured, figuring he could coo to her like he did to Otabek and maybe it would be just as good.

            Otabek kept driving and Yuri did his best to comfort Mara whenever she tensed, which was pretty much at every light and stop sign. He held her whole little hand and he told her it was alright whenever her breathing picked up. It broke his heart seeing her so scared.

            “You okay?” Yuri asked her when they pulled into the apartment building parking garage.

            “Uh huh.” She said in a teary voice.

            “You’re tough just like your brother.” He sighed, giving her tiny hand a squeeze before Otabek parked the car and he hopped out, so he could lean over and unstrap her. “Here, take your backpack.” He was a little afraid of dropping it or something and making her freak out. She put it back on and Yuri let Otabek come around and pick her back up, afraid of holding her wrong.

            “Let’s go get you a snack okay?” Otabek said as they all walked up the stairs. “How was flying for the first time?”

            “It was cool.” She said, hugging his neck as he unlocked the apartment.

            “See? If you can do that, you can ride in cars can’t you?”

            “Yeah.”

            “That’s my brave girl. Come on, let’s check out your new room. Yuri painted the whole thing with me yesterday you know.”

            Yuri shut the door behind them and followed Otabek back to the bedroom. He loved how it had turned out, but little kids were weird, so he was still worried she might hate it.

            “Do you like it?” Otabek asked, opening the door with his free hand to reveal the red, ladybug covered room. “We got all your toys from home and all your clothes.”

            “I like ladybugs.” She smiled as Otabek set her down. “This is my room?”

            “Yeah, all yours.”

            She walked up to the toy chest and lifted the lid, beaming with one of those silly little kid smiles as she pulled out a plastic tiara and put it on her head.

            “That’s adorable.” Yuri said, leaning his head against Otabek’s shoulder. “She’s adorable.”

            “You have no idea how relieved I am that she remembers me.” Otabek sighed, watching her rummage through the toy chest. “I forgot to ask the social worker if she’s potty trained.”

            “Guess we’ll find out.”

            “Yup.” He turned and planted a kiss on Yuri’s cheek. “Thanks for being amazing. If we get her to go to bed on time, we can watch a movie or something with just us.”

            “Sounds good. I’m gonna go make some mac and cheese, she’ll be hungry. Do you want something?”

            “I’ll make food for us in a little while. Call me when it’s ready, I’m gonna play with her for a bit and try to figure some stuff out too, alright?”

            “Sure Beka. Just call me if you need me.” Yuri pulled him into a real kiss and wondered briefly if they should tone down the PDA in front of Mara before walking away from them. Shit, why was it so hard to talk to her? He was getting the hang of it, but Otabek was just such a natural.

            Yuri put a pot of water on to boil and called Victor while he waited for it to heat up.

            “Hey Yuri, how’d it go?”

            “Well uh… she’s here. It seems pretty okay. We were afraid she’d be traumatized and freaked out, but so far she’s just a little scared to ride in cars.”

            “Aw that’s great. How’s she with Otabek?”

            “They’re kind of amazing actually.” Yuri said, hopping up on the counter. “She remembers him, so she just took to him right away and he knows how to talk to her. I don’t get how he does it. I mean what do you talk about with a toddler? She can make sentences and stuff, but not much.”

            “You’ll warm up to her. Do you want me and Yuuri to come over and meet her or is that too soon?”

            “You guys can come over. That’d actually be pretty great, just don’t love it up in front of her like you do in front of everyone else. I feel like me and Beka do that too much already.”

            “Is she weirded out by the gay thing? Some kids don’t understand it when they’re that little and they were raised by parents like that.”

            “Otabek explained it and she seemed fine. I mean I don’t think she cares about that kinda stuff yet. She’s so fucking little, Victor. Like I think she weighs ten pounds.”

            Victor laughed on the other end and Yuri hopped off the counter to check on the water. “We’ll be over in a few. Want me to bring a bottle of wine or something?”

            “God yes.”

            “Alright then, see you soon.”

            Yuri hung up and poured a box of mac and cheese into the boiling water, smiling when he heard Otabek and Mara giggling in the other room. It was adorable seeing Otabek like this. He just seemed so unbelievably happy. Yuri was afraid that those depressive episodes would go on forever. Soon, he heard Otabek’s footsteps running up behind him and the two of them ran into the kitchen, Otabek scooping up Mara and running over to kiss Yuri’s cheek. “Hey, she wants you to braid her hair. Do you wanna?”

            “Huh?” Yuri blushed. “Yeah sure. Um, can you finish her mac and cheese?”

            “Sure Baby.” Otabek leaned in and kissed him in a way that made Yuri’s heart skip. There was a lot of passion in their relationship, but after being together for years, it was rare for Yuri to get a kiss like that, full of that passion, not the sexual passion, but the “so fucking happy” kind of passion. “She has her own hair ties, look how cute they are.” He grinned when he pulled out of the kiss, letting Mara hold her hand out to reveal two cute little pony tail holders with plastic butterflies on them.

            Shit, those were cute. “Aw. Here, let’s go figure out what’s best for your hair, alright?” Yuri carefully took her from Otabek’s arms and carried her away from the stove, into the guest bathroom where they’d stocked some spare hairbrushes and things for her. “Do you know about different kinds of braids?”

            She shook her head and hugged him tight when he bent down to get a soft brush out of a drawer.

            “Okay, do you want one or two?”

            “One.”

            “Alright let’s do a French braid then to start.” Yuri carried her back out and sat down on the couch with her, so he could still see Otabek cooking in their kitchenette. “Hey Beka, Victor and Yuuri are coming over in a few minutes.”

            “Really? Okay, let me start dinner then. We should feed them.”

            “Okay.” Yuri smiled, watching Otabek put an apron on. He thought they were pretty domestic before, but this was a new level. He sat sideways on the couch, folding his legs and sitting Mara down in front of him, carefully brushing out her hair. He noticed she had a few scrapes and bruises, some small cuts on the upper parts of her arms, a shallow bruise on one leg, probably from the car accident. “Does this hurt?” He asked as he carefully ran the brush through her thin brown hair. God it was the exact same texture as Otabek’s.

            She shook her head.

            “Okay, well hey I’ll do your hair whenever you want me to, right? And we’ll do that until you can do it on your own and I’ll teach you how every time.”

            “Okay.”

            Yuri parted her hair and started at the top, intertwining the pieces one by one and narrating everything he did to help her learn. She probably wouldn’t be able to do it on her own for a while, but maybe this would help him bond with her.

            “Do you like princesses?”

            “Uh.” Yuri laughed. “Yeah? I guess. You do?”

            “Uh huh. I like Moana.”

            “I haven’t seen that one.”

            She gasped and turned around, making him drop the pieces of her hair. “You have to!”

            “Whoa, okay. We can watch it together maybe.”

            “Mhm.” She said, turning back around and crossing her little arms over her chest. “You have to.”

            “Okay.” Yuri smiled, going back to braiding her hair. “Maybe tonight.”

            When he finished, he tied it with one of her little butterfly hair ties and put the other one around her wrist like a bracelet, making sure it wasn’t too tight. Shit, what now?

            “Can I see?”

            “Oh shit, yeah. I-I mean, oh shoot, fuck. Wait.” Yuri stopped and rolled his eyes at himself. “Don’t say bad words like me. Let’s go look in the mirror.” He gave her a hand to help her off the couch and lead her to the bathroom, picking her up and standing her on the counter, hands on her tiny waist to keep her safe while she looked in the mirror. “You like it?”

            “I’m pretty.” She giggled. “Thanks Yuri.”

            “Hey don’t worry about it.” He took her down and lead her back out to the dining area, watching Otabek cook and keeping an eye on Mara as she explored the area a little bit. “Hey Beka?”

            “Yeah?” He took a pot off the stove and turned towards him. “What’s up?”

            “Did you uh… Figure anything out back there?”

            “She’s potty trained. Score, right?”

            “Oh fuck, thank God.”

            “Mm, doesn’t stop there though. Shes uh…” Otabek bit his lip and watched as Mara walked around the living room, peering under the coffee table and opening every drawer she could find. There wasn’t anything dangerous in those, so they let her explore. “She’s traumatized. I texted that social worker a few questions and apparently Mara really barely remembers anything from the accident. I guess she must remember a tiny something since she was so afraid to get in the car, but uh, bed wetting’s an issue. I’ll deal with that if it comes to it. We can get a plastic sheet to put over the mattress to make clean up a little easier.”

            “Oh.”

            “Yeah.” Otabek sighed. “And she’s probably gonna have nightmares, so we need to leave our door unlocked at night in case.”

            “But what about-“

            “We’re gonna have to be careful about um…” Otabek glanced over at Mara again then lowered his voice to a loud whisper. “We have to be careful about sex.”

            “Alright.” Yuri breathed. “I mean, maybe she’ll sleep through the night.”

            “Hopefully.” Otabek walked over and planted a kiss on the top of his head. “Hey, you’re doing amazing.”

            “Really? I don’t know how to talk to her.”

            “You’re doing fine. She loves you already.” Otabek glanced over to where Mara was trying to climb on the coffee table and bit his lip. “Uh hey Kiddo, no climbing okay?”

            “Sorry!” She peeped, climbing back down.

            “Shit I don’t like saying no to her.” Otabek said, giving Yuri’s shoulder a squeeze before turning back to the stove. “Keep an eye on her.”

            “I’m on it.”

            Victor and Yuuri arrived not too much later and they both fawned over Mara, who seemed to love the attention, raving about her hair and her dress, Victor smothering her with hugs. They had a little wine, but not enough to really get drunk. Yuri started to worry though that there was kind of a sausage fest situation going on and made a mental note to get Mila to spend some time with the kid. She needed some kind of female influence.

            “So are you guys bummed about skating your last seasons?” Yuri asked while Victor played Uno with Mara on the living room carpet.

            “I’m actually a little excited.” Yuuri smiled. “Victor’s thirty and I’ll be too soon, so we’re already pushing the limit. I’m ready to just relax and start a family. We would wait until the season’s over for the baby, but we just loved that surrogate so much, it just felt right to use her and do it now. We just already committed to the new season before we made that decision, but we’ll give up some competitions for the baby if we have to.”

            “I’m really worried about leaving her when we travel.” Otabek grimaced. “We haven’t even started to look at preschools and she’s supposed to start in October.”

            “Wow, she’s old enough for pre-school?” Victor grinned, reaching over to pinch Mara’s cheek a little. “You’re pretty big.”

            “It’s a little bit optional at their age, which is what I read, but I think it’d be good for her.”

            “Yeah, that’s a good idea. Plus, you’ll save on daycare.”

            “Yeah.” Otabek yawned and hooked an arm around Yuri’s shoulders, leaning over to press a lazy kiss against his cheek. “There’s just still so much to do.”

            The whole evening went pretty well. Mara was happy and giggling, she ate her dinner, and by seven-thirty, she was dozing off, so Victor and Yuuri headed home.

            “We’ll watch that movie tomorrow, alright Kiddo?” Otabek cooed as he set her down in bed, Yuri watching from the doorway as he tucked her in. “You like it here?”

            She nodded and let Otabek pull the covers up to her shoulders. “When are we going home?”

            “This is home now.” Otabek said, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “We’re living here from now on.”

            “Is Mommy gonna come? Or Dad?”

            “Huh?” Otabek blinked. “Um… No. They’re not.”

            “Why not?” She whined, fussing a little under the covers.

            Otabek frowned and looked over at Yuri, confused.

            “ _I don’t know_.” Yuri whispered, holding his hands up in surrender. Maybe she was too traumatized to remember. Maybe she just didn’t understand death, being such a little kid.

            “Hey, listen.” Otabek said to her in a soft voice. “We’re not gonna see Mom and Dad anymore, okay? You’re gonna live here with me and Yuri and we’re gonna be your mom and dad. Well, your dads. I mean, I’m your brother, but um… I mean, you understand that Mom and Dad are gone right?”

            Mara just sniffled and looked away.

            Yuri walked up and put his hands on Otabek’s shoulders, squeezing to calm him down.

            “I know it’ll take some getting used to, but treat us like were Mom and Dad okay? We’re here to take care of you and um, we love you just the same yeah?”

            She made a frowny face like she was kind of confused, but Otabek just leaned forward and kissed her head.

            “Goodnight, okay?”

            “Goodnight.” She mumbled, but she was already dozing off, so Otabek let it be, turning off her light and leaving her door open when they left.

            “You okay?” Yuri asked, leading Otabek to the living room.

            “Yeah.” He sighed before flopping down on the couch and pulling Yuri with him. “Come here with me.”

            “Are you falling asleep too?” Yuri smiled, lying down with him on the fake leather and kissing his neck a little to help relax him.

            “Kind of.” Otabek said, wrapping his arms around Yuri and squeezing him tight. “This is gonna be really hard.”

            “I know. It’s gonna be okay though. You’re amazing with her.”

            “Do you really think so?”

            “Of course I do.” Yuri nuzzled his nose against Otabek’s cheek and kissed that spot. “But she’s in bed now, okay? So just relax and give yourself a break.”

            “Mm.” Otabek sighed and kissed the top of Yuri’s head. “I love you. You’re being so incredible about all of this. I’m the luckiest guy.”

            “Aw, it’s no big deal.”

            “It is a big deal. You’re amazing.” Otabek leaned down and gave him a proper kiss, trailing his hand down Yuri’s side until he could slip it between his legs, rubbing him through his jeans.

            “Beka.” Yuri breathed, tucking his head into Otabek’s neck. “Hhh…”

            “I’ll go take care of her if she comes out, let me get you off right now.”

            “A-Are you sure?”

            “Yeah.” Otabek dragged down Yuri’s zipper and dipped his hand past the waistband of his underwear to touch him, stroking Yuri with slow, tight motions to make him blush and whine. “Told you I’m not gonna neglect you, yeah?”

            “Mhm.” Yuri breathed, biting his lip as Otabek stroked him.

            “Here, sit up.”

            Yuri did what he was told and watched as Otabek climbed off the couch, kneeling down between his open legs.

            “Tell me if you hear her move and I’ll go intercept.”

            Yuri nodded and pushed his hand into the other’s hair, shoving down his jeans and underwear a bit, so Otabek had easy access, but he’d still be able to cover himself in a hurry. “Touch that spot please.”

            “Tell me whatever else you want.” Otabek slid one hand between Yuri’s legs, pressing two fingers against his perineum to massage the sensitive spot, using his other hand to angle his erection towards his mouth.

            “Beka.” Yuri gasped when he took him in his mouth, his thighs already twitching. Fuck, Otabek had a serious gift for oral sex. He had no gag reflex and he always let Yuri squirm all he wanted, fucking his mouth in shallow little thrusts. It was hard to be quiet.

            Otabek hummed around his cock and bobbed his head up and down, swallowing around him.

            “Bekaaa.” Yuri whined in a low voice, tightening his grip on Otabek’s hair. “If you keep it up like that, I’m not gonna last.”

            Otabek seemed to take that as a challenge and pulled back to suck on just his tip, forcing Yuri to clamp a hand over his mouth.

            “You know how sensitive I am there you asshole.” Yuri whispered, his whole body tensing as Otabek dragged his tongue around his tip, swallowing everything he leaked and keeping those two fingers on his perineum pressing hard. “Oh my God, you fuck, I-I’m gonna fucking cum.” He slid a hand up his shirt to toy with his chest, unable to resist the temptation as Otabek started to properly suck him again and his head tipped back in pleasure. Fucking Otabek, always trying to make him cum embarrassingly early. He was gonna reap some fucking revenge as soon as they were done here. If Otabek thought Yuri wasn’t going to tease him until his balls were blue after this, he was dead wrong.

            Otabek pressed on his spot even harder and hummed, bobbing his head a little faster until Yuri was whimpering against his hand, twitching and squirming against him.

            “Beka, fuck, fuck, I-I’m right there, fucking slow down.” Yuri gasped, his whole body trembling as his orgasm approached. “Hhh… Fuck, Beka. I-I’m-“ He cut himself off, afraid of getting too loud and came onto Otabek’s tongue with his mouth open in a silent scream, his face hot and his thighs shaking. “Oh my God.” Yuri breathed, taking his shirt back down as Otabek pulled off of him. “You’re such a dick.”

            “Sorry, I just wanted to hear you get all desperate and everything.” Otabek smiled, wiping his mouth and standing back up to lean over Yuri, kissing him deep, so he could taste himself on his tongue. Yuri had taken a long time to open up to Otabek about everything he liked in bed, but now they knew all of that stuff about each other. Otabek knew Yuri loved to taste himself after a blowjob, that he went crazy for dirty talk, he loved to wear lingerie, and on the rare occasion that Otabek would rim him, Yuri couldn’t last longer than five minutes without cumming. On the other side, Otabek loved pet names, and rough sex, something Yuri was almost always happy to oblige to and long story short, they’d never had a disappointing time in bed. Even their very first time had been amazing and Yuri had never even been with anyone besides Otabek. “You look beautiful when you cum.” Otabek whispered when he broke the kiss, nuzzling his nose against Yuri’s.

            “Can I do you now?”

            “What do you want to do?”

            “Well you’ve been sweet enough today that I could easily go another round and uh… If you’ll let me, I’d kind of like to go to our room and ride your daylights out.”

            “Hm.” Otabek bit his lip. “We have to be quick, alright? And we have to be quiet.”

            “Oh you’ll be quick.” Yuri teased, kissing him on the corner of his mouth. “I can put on that underwear you like.”

            “I feel like we’re playing with fire a little bit here.”

            “A little bit, but I think she’s asleep. She won’t hear if we’re quiet.” Yuri lifted his hips, so he could pull his pants up and tuck his cock away again, zipping his jeans before he stood up and grabbed Otabek’s hand. “Come on, let’s-“

            “Beka?”

            They both jerked away from each other and Otabek looked down the hall at where Mara was poking her head out of her bedroom door.

            “Hey Kiddo, what’s up?”

            “I’m scared.” She sniffled. “I want Mommy.”

            Shit.

            “Kiddo, I told you she’s not here anymore.” Otabek said, walking up and kneeling down in front of her. “It’s just us, okay? Do you need someone to sleep with?”

            “I wanna see Mommy.” She stomped her foot and started to really cry. Yuri practically saw Otabek’s heart break at the sight of it, but he didn’t know how to help. How do you convince a little kid that her parents are dead?

            “Mara, I’m sorry, but it’s just us now. I’m really, really sorry, but let me help you okay?” Otabek reached out to hug her, but she shook her head. “Would you feel better if I read you a story? You can sleep with me and Yuri if you need to.”

            She shook her head and kept crying. “I want Mom.”

            “I… I-I can’t do that for you, just tell me how I can help.” Otabek stuttered, reaching out and holding her shoulders. “Mara, I’m the one taking care of you now. I can’t be mom, but I can help you, yeah?”

            Yuri heard Otabek’s voice wobble and figured he had to try something, so he rushed over and knelt down too. “Hey, you wanna stay up and watch Moana with me? I know you’re upset, but I’d be super bummed if we had to wait until tomorrow you know?” He shrugged his shoulders. “Could you do that for me? I’d be kinda sad if we didn’t.”

            She sniffled again and looked at him with big brown eyes that made him feel like the worst person in the world for not being able to make her smile right then.

            “Can you?” Yuri tried again, putting one hand on Otabek’s back to rub it for him.

            “Y-Yeah.” Mara nodded, wiping her eyes. “Right now?”

            “Well let’s start it and then we can finish tomorrow. Sound good?”

            “Uh huh.”

            “Cool, come on. You can stay up a little and watch it with us.” Yuri stood up and held his hand out, smiling a little when Mara took it. Otabek looked a little shaken up, but he quit looking so scared when Mara stopped crying.

            They all walked to the couch together and Yuri sat with Mara in his lap while Otabek called up the movie and got a blanket for all of them to share.

            “Thank you.” Otabek sighed, wrapping an arm around Yuri’s shoulders while the movie started. Mara had stopped sniffling already, completely mesmerized by it. They probably shouldn’t raise her on TV, but it was helpful to know she’d stop crying if they put Moana on.

            “Don’t worry about it.” Yuri kept his arms around Mara, but leaned over to give Otabek a kiss. Mara would probably fall asleep after about five minutes and he’d return the favor Otabek had just given him. It was kind of nice though, just sitting there with them. They were like a little family and Otabek kept looking at him with crazy loving eyes every time he did something cute with Mara.

            Eventually, she fell asleep on Yuri and he just carried her back to bed, Otabek close behind when he tucked her back in.

            “Do you think she’s gonna hate me?” Otabek sighed. “I’m never gonna be her mom or anything. She’s gonna miss our parents for the rest of her life and I’m not gonna stack up.”

            “Don’t say that. She loves you. It’s just gonna take time for her to understand that your parents are gone.” Yuri took Otabek’s hand and lead him out of her room. “Do you want me to go change?”

            “Are you sure you still feel up for that?”

            “Yeah, of course.” Yuri said as he tugged him into their bedroom and shut the door. “You’ve been insanely awesome today, so sit on the bed and I’m gonna look really fucking hot in like two minutes.”

            “Wait a sec.” Otabek sat on the side of the bed and took Yuri’s wrist, pulling him close just to hug him. “You’re way better with her than you think and it means so fucking much that you’re trying and I’m gonna do something crazy nice for you as soon as I figure out what it is.”

            “Aw, Beka.” Yuri laughed, kissing the top of his head. “Hey, I really love Mara. She’s really sweet and I think this whole thing might work out.”

            “Yeah?”

            “Mhm. She has therapy tomorrow right?”

            Otabek nodded.

            “Then we’re gonna try out daycare for the first time on Monday, so if that goes well, we should be all set shouldn’t we?”

            “Yeah.” Otabek breathed. “I feel better about all this.”

            “Me too.” Yuri gave him a little squeeze then leaned down to give him a proper kiss, swiping his tongue over Otabek’s lower lip before pulling away to get the lingerie out of the dresser. “I don’t feel like showering after this, so wear a condom.”

            “Alright.” Otabek laughed, peeling his shirt off while Yuri slipped into the bathroom to change.

            He put on Otabek’s favorite, a black lace thong and a sheer tank top to match, taking just a second to fix his hair up before he stepped out to take Otabek’s mind off all the stress. Yuri was pretty relieved that Mara could fall asleep so early. It meant they’d have plenty of time to themselves most nights, so their sex life should stay pretty consistent. Otabek still paid as much attention to him as he always did, being careful not to hurt him and doing all of the little things he liked. It was tough to keep quiet, but none of the passion had left and the only major change was that they couldn’t fall asleep naked anymore in case a certain four year old had a nightmare.

            “You sure you can sleep now?” Otabek yawned, nuzzling his nose against Yuri’s neck as he hugged him close. “I know it’s early, I’m just so tired.”

            “It’s fine, I’m sleepy too.” Yuri put his hand over Otabek’s and shut his eyes. “Mm, love you.”

            “I love you too, Yura.” Otabek laughed. “You sound so cute when you’re tired.”

            “You’re not gonna say that when we’re up at five a.m. with Mara tomorrow.”

            “You’ll be cute then too. Just cranky.”

            “We’ll see about that.” Yuri sighed. “Sleep tight, Beka.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Expect chapter four by Monday :)


	4. Chapter Four - Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time for the boys to figure out how to raise a gosh darn kid.

            Yuri always slept well with Otabek. They were both cuddle whores and the weather was always cold, giving him the excuse to make Otabek spoon him for warmth just about every night and if Otabek fell asleep first and rolled away, Yuri simply followed him. They’d wake up every morning completely intertwined and unless he had a nightmare, Yuri always slept through the night if they weren’t apart, which happened sometimes during the competitive season. Otabek could get a little anxious sometimes and have more difficulty, but for the most part, their bed was the most comfortable place on the entire planet.

            It was one in the morning when the bedroom door opened, the stream of light from the hallway falling onto both their faces.

            “Hm?” Yuri stirred, woken up, but not really enough to register anything happening until a small voice called from the doorway.

            “Beka?”

            Yuri opened his eyes then and went to shake Otabek awake, but he sat up on his own and yawned.

            “Mara?” Otabek rubbed his eyes. “Hey, what’s up?”

            “Can I sleep with you guys?”

            “Did something happen?” Otabek asked, eyes still drooping as he ran one hand up and down Yuri’s arm just to be touching him.

            “I had a nightmare.”

            “Okay, close the door and hop in.” Otabek gestured for her to join them and laid back down, leaning in to whisper to Yuri. “Hey, she can sleep on my side. Can you be the big spoon, so I can face her?”

            Yuri gave a tired nod and rolled over, watching as Mara climbed on to Otabek’s side of the bed and crawled under the covers with him. “Mm, don’t go stealing him from me, Mara.” He teased, eyes drooping shut again as he pressed up behind Otabek and hooked an arm around his torso. “He’s too cozy.”

            “I think there’s enough of me to go around.”

            “Better be.” Yuri mumbled, giving him a squeeze and a kiss on the back of his neck.

            “I’m cold.” Mara whined and Otabek pulled her into a loose hug, pressing one little kiss to the top of her small head.

            “Better?” Otabek whispered.

            “Uh huh.”

            “Okay, go to sleep.”

            “But I’m bored.”

            “If you go to sleep then you can wake up not bored.”

            Yuri sighed and slid his hand a little ways under Otabek’s shirt to rest it against his abs, holding him close to savor all that warmth. He was really tired, but they were just too cute for him to complain. “Hey Beka, I’m bored too.”

            “Don’t be a dick, go to sleep.” Otabek laughed.

            “Hey don’t call me a dick in front of Mara.”

            “What’s a dick?” Mara peeped and both of them cracked up at that, Yuri having to clamp a hand over his mouth just to stop laughing while Otabek giggled like an idiot.

            “You’re making things so much worse, Yuri.” Otabek said, having to wipe his eyes. “Oh man, Mara don’t say that word. Bad word. I won’t say it anymore.”

            “I don’t know, Beka I feel that word’s a pretty integral part of this relationship.”

            “I am literally going to kick you out of bed. Like with my foot, Yura.”

            “Sorry.” He snickered. “I’ll be good.”

            “You’re just keeping her awake.”

            “Hey it wasn’t my potty mouth who got us into this.”

            Mara was still giggling a little, so Otabek pulled the covers up to her tiny shoulders and smacked another kiss on her forehead. “Alright Missy, go back to sleep. We’ll be quiet.”

            Yuri kissed Otabek’s shoulder and shut his eyes again, still grinning. Otabek was so fucking cute sometimes it just made him want to melt, but he settled down and enjoyed being the big spoon for once. It wasn’t his first choice out of their various cuddle positions, but he liked holding Otabek like this. Early on in the relationship, Otabek had always struggled to open up and kind of be the weaker one every now and then, but now he never hesitated to be vulnerable even if it was just something little like letting Yuri hold him in bed.

            They all fell back asleep eventually, staying close to each other for warmth. Yuri didn’t think he’d feel so content on the first night with Mara, but he really felt happy. This was working.

**

            Mara was up at five-thirty and jumped on the bed until they got up to play with her. Otabek copped out a bit, plopping her on the couch with him and putting Moana back on while he went back to sleep there on the sofa and Yuri made breakfast. Yuri had too much respect for that genius move to be annoyed though.

            He made strawberry pancakes even if it took four tries to get there and brought the plates to the coffee table so they could all just sit on the couch. Fuck, it was early. “Get up you big traitor, I’m sitting with you guys.” He said, poking Otabek’s cheek until he opened his eyes. “Head up.”

            “Boo.” Otabek pouted, lifting his head up so Yuri could sit down, then resting it back down again in his lap while Mara ate the pancakes. “I’ll eat in a minute.”

            “You better. I slaved for this gourmet breakfast.”

            “Mm.” Otabek took Yuri’s hand brought it to his lips, kissing his palm and nuzzling his cheek against his hand. “Play with my hair, I’m cozy.”

            “You’re such a dork.” Yuri did what he asked and ran his hands through Otabek’s thick hair, rubbing the fuzzy part of his undercut. “Hey what time are you taking Mara to the counselor?”

            “Like three hours.”

            “Do you want me to come?”

            “Yeah.” Otabek yawned.

            “Beka?” Mara asked from where she was sitting at his feet

            “Hm?”

            “What’re we doing today?”

            “Uh, we’re gonna go talk to a doctor.” He mumbled, nuzzling his cheek against Yuri’s thigh.

            “What kinda doctor?”

            “Special doctor. She’s just gonna talk to you for a little.”

            “About what?”

            Otabek sighed and hugged Yuri’s forearm like a teddy bear. “Just about Mom and Dad and stuff, but we’ll be with you, alright? So you don’t have to be scared and we’ll leave you alone if you want us too.”

            “Okay.” She said, turning back to the syrup on her plate. It didn’t sound like she really understood, but they were tired.

            “Did you sleep okay for the rest of the night?” Yuri asked, still raking his fingers through Otabek’s hair with his free hand.

            “Mhm.” He rolled over onto his side, so he was facing the TV. “Can you rub my back too?”

            “Man you’re needy today.”

            “I’m tireeeddddd.”

            Yuri laughed and leaned over to kiss his temple, taking his hand out of Otabek’s grip, so he could rub his back a little. “You’re gonna have to wake up eventually.”

            “Nope.”

            “At seven, I’m making you shower.”

            “That’s fair.”

            They stayed on the couch pretty much as long as Mara would let them until she started to get antsy and Yuri had to go get her ready for the day while Otabek showered. He was relieved that she was old enough to dress herself, but they still had to pick out her outfits for the most part, so he helped her get the buttons on her pajamas undone and left her alone to change before it was time to do her hair again.

            “Babe have you seen like the one dress shirt I own?” Otabek asked, walking out in just a towel to where Yuri was doing Mara’s hair at the kitchen table.

            “Um.” Yuri looked him over and blinked. “I think it might be in my drawer. I was wearing it last month for that press thing.”

            “Okay, cool.” He shook out his wet hair and walked up to give him and Mara each a kiss on the cheek. “You guys look so cute.”

            “You’d look pretty cute too if you put some clothes on and let me do your hair.”

            “Hush you like me like this.” Otabek said, giving Yuri’s shoulders a squeeze. “Hey let’s go out to ice cream after the appointment. I wanna take you guys out. Sound good, Mara?”

            “Yeah.” She giggled as Yuri finished her braid and tied it off.

            “You’re trying to make me fat.” Yuri blushed, standing up so he could give Otabek a kiss, his hands involuntarily coming up to touch his chest. “Now stop making me act inappropriate in front of the kid and get dressed.”

            “Sorry.” Otabek smiled, wrapping his arms around Yuri to give him a quick hug. “Forgive me?”

            “You’re so gross today.” Yuri said although he couldn’t stop blushing. When was the last time Otabek was this happy?

            “I know it’s getting out of control.” He tickled Yuri’s ribs just to make him squeak before smacking a final kiss against his cheek and pulling away to go get dressed, Yuri watching him as he went.

            This was such a different version of Otabek. He’d always been affectionate and usually confident, but he was just glowing with happiness that Yuri wasn’t used to seeing on him. Losing his family the first time had hurt him so deeply. Yuri was glad to finally see that wound healing even if he knew Otabek was pressing down all of his grief for his parents. He’d work on that later.

**

            Mara had trouble getting in the car again when they tried going to the appointment, actually crying this time until Otabek had to just pick her up and strap her into the car seat, kicking. Yuri drove, so Otabek could stay in the back and keep her calm, but the whole thing made them feel powerless.

            Otabek took her out of the car the second they parked and carried her inside to the waiting room, signing them in and taking a seat on the sofa next to Yuri while cheesy harp music filled the room. “You okay?” He asked, holding a still sniffling toddler in his lap.

            Mara shook her head.

            “I’m sorry Kiddo, but we had to get here, you know? We’ll find a way to make you feel better about the car.”

            “Do we have to go back in it?”

            “Yeah.” Otabek sighed. “But I’ll sit with you again okay? You can hold my hand and I’ll protect you.” He wiped the tears off of her cheeks and kissed the top of her head. “We’ll figure it out.”

            A young woman with glasses and a floral dress stepped out into the waiting area and smiled at them, waving a little at Mara. “Otabek and Mara?”

            “Yeah that’s us.” Otabek smiled, picking Mara up when he stood and reaching over to hold Yuri’s hand as they approached her. “This is Yuri.”

            “He had some very sweet things to say about you on the phone.” She said, reaching out to shake Yuri’s free hand. “Come on back to my office. You guys can call me Beth, or Dr. Lipnitskaia. Most people prefer Beth.” She opened the door and lead from the waiting room, down a short hallway to her personal office where the walls were pastel green and there was a cute little carpet with frogs, toys littering the coffee table in front of a big couch.

            Yuri let Otabek sit down first with Mara, then sat close next to him, so he could help comfort her if she got upset, but also just a little bit nervous himself.

            “So, Otabek you gave me a pretty good run down on the phone of what’s going on. How was the first night?”

            “Uh it was pretty good.” He said, hugging Mara close as he spoke. “She said she was cold and slept with us, but I think she might have just been scared.”

            “Hm.” Beth leaned her head on her fist and looked at Mara. “Were you scared last night?”

            “A little bit.” Mara mumbled, hugging one of Otabek’s arms.

            “But being with them made you feel safe?”

            She nodded.

            “What were you scared of?”

            “I missed Mommy and it was dark.”

            “Do you miss Daddy too?”

            Mara made a little frowny face and shook her head, squirming around a little in Otabek’s lap.

            “You don’t?”

            “No.” She stuck her lip out in a pout and Otabek tensed, looking over at Yuri with big eyes.

            They didn’t talk about it much, but Otabek told Yuri how his dad used to hit him. Mara was so little and also a girl, so they’d both assumed that he wouldn’t treat her that way, but maybe without Otabek in the house to absorb all that anger, he’d turned on her.

            Beth frowned and leaned forward a little. “Why don’t you miss him?”

            “He was mean. He yelled a lot.”

            “Did he ever hurt you?”

            She shook her head and Otabek breathed a sigh of relief, planting a kiss on top of her little head. “Christ.” He breathed.

            “Was your dad an angry person?” Beth asked, her eyes coming up to Otabek’s this time.

            “Um.” He shifted a little, uncomfortable, and bit his lip. “Yeah.”

            “How so?”

            “Should I talk about this stuff in front of Mara?”

            “You don’t have to, but keep in mind you’re all a family now. Mara’s young, but you should still put trust in her and even though she’s little, you both did grow up in the same house. I’m sure she knows.”

            “Um, Dad hit me a lot.” Otabek shrugged, staring off to the side. “Usually just his hands, sometimes a belt. He thought I was too feminine, uh, both of us are professional figure skaters now, so not the straightest hobby as a kid.”

            “What about Mom?”

            “She’s not an angry person like him, but she was afraid of him, so she just lets him do whatever he wants.”

            “Mara, was Mom nice most of the time?”

            Mara gave a shy little nod.

            “Okay, so I’ve got a little bit of an idea of the experiences you both had with these parents. Let’s um… Let’s get down to what you guys are primarily here for.” She turned in her chair and took a pad and paper from her desk, scribbling down a few things.

            Otabek looked pretty anxious, so Yuri scootched a little closer and leaned his head on his shoulder for a moment, nuzzling his cheek against it for a moment before lifting his head again. He would pry a little bit later and try to get Otabek to talk about his parents a little more. He was worried about him repressing all that.

            “Mara, do you understand what happened to Mom and Dad?”

            Mara blinked at her then looked up at Otabek like he might answer for her.

            “Mara?”

            “The lady who brought me here says they’re in heaven.”

            “Do you know what that means?”

            “They’re not around anymore.”

            Geeze. Therapy was fucking grim. Yuri wondered if he should be doing anything to comfort either of them, or if he should just stay quiet. He had no clue how little kids processed grief. Mara sounded pretty calm about the whole thing. Maybe four years wasn’t long enough for something like death to make sense.

            “Do you know why?”

            Mara’s little mouth began to wobble. “The car.”

            “Shit, hey, I don’t want her to cry.” Otabek said, his arms in a protective hug around her.

            “It’s okay, it would actually be good for her to cry.” Beth put the pen and paper back on the desk. “It’s really hard for little kids to understand situations like these and a big problem is that adults try to sugar coat it. They use vague terms like passed away, or went to heaven which ends up confusing the kids and makes it more difficult for them to process grief. We want Mara to have an accurate understanding of what happened, so that she can process the right information in a healthy way and adjust to a whole new life with essentially new parents.”

            “Isn’t that just gonna hurt her?” Otabek grimaced. “I-I mean I know I don’t know what I’m talking about, I just… She’s so little.”

            “I know.” Beth nodded. “Would you be more comfortable stepping out of the room?”

            “No, not unless she wants us to go. I mean, I want to know what’s going on.”

            “Okay. Today I just want Mara to leave this room understanding what death means. If she hasn’t really processed this already, expect a few rough nights ahead of you.”

            “Alright.” Otabek sighed and looked over to Yuri. They were doing the right thing by putting Mara through counseling, but it was obviously hurting him to upset her.

            Yuri just planted a little kiss on his cheek and squeezed his shoulder. “This is the right thing for her, Beka. Are you sure you’re okay hearing this stuff about your parents and all?”

            “Yeah, it’s whatever.”

            Yuri bit the inside of his cheek at that, but pulled away and let the attention go back to Mara. Otabek’s parents were dead. Even if he hated them, it shouldn’t just be whatever.

            The next half hour was pretty tough to watch. Beth started by asking if Mara remembered anything from the car accident. She seemed not to remember the worst of it, but she remembered seeing people put their parents into an ambulance and that had to have been gruesome, but after talking it all through, even in her limited little kid language, she understood that their parents were dead. She accepted that they weren’t coming back when she was asked about it and when she cried, Otabek held her and promised to take care of her better than their Mom and Dad ever did and that seemed to be enough.

            Beth assured them that her fear of driving should go away eventually. The more time she spent in the car and felt safe, the faster it would heal, but it would probably be a mild anxiety that she’d carry with her forever. They figured out one thing on the way to get ice cream though. During the car wreck, Mara had been sitting in the middle seat in the back, so when they moved her to the left side and had Otabek sit in the middle to comfort her, she felt a little bit better. She felt a lot better after they loaded her with sugar too and took her back home.

            “Okay, so I don’t think we can put her in daycare tomorrow.” Otabek said when they got back, Mara watching TV on the couch with her doll while they stood in the kitchen to talk. “Especially if she has a hard time tonight.”

            “Yeah, but what are we going to do about practice?”

            “Let’s just bring her. You can buy her skates at the rink and hopefully she’ll like that and we’ll trade off watching her I guess.”

            “I can ask Mila to come in for an hour or two, maybe?” Yuri shrugged. “I think Mara should have a girl around, you know. Plus, we really do need to get some actual practice in. It’s hard enough taking off so much time last week.”

            “I know, I just…” Otabek’s shoulders slumped and he looked over at her. “Yura, she’s gotta be hurting. I can’t leave her alone yet.”

            “Okay, but I think it’ll help her to be around some little kids though. We’ll bring her tomorrow, but the day after, we’re trying daycare okay? She might make a friend or something.”

            “Oh shit.”

            “What?”

            “What if she makes friends and the moms won’t let us bring her for play dates and stuff?” Otabek started to chew on his thumb nail, but Yuri took his hand and guided it back down.

            “Don’t start biting your nails again and I’m sure it’ll be fine. Not everyone here is really that homophobic.” Yuri reached up and ran his fingers through Otabek’s hair. “Listen, you’re doing great, okay? She’s adjusting already. It’ll all be fine.”

            “I just feel like I’m gonna do something wrong.”

            “Stop worrying so much. If you make a mistake, that just means you’re human, yeah? Don’t freak yourself out.” Yuri slid his arms around Otabek’s waist and pressed himself close, smiling as he nuzzled his nose against his jaw. “I think you’re amazing at this.”

            “God, I love you.” Otabek breathed, hugging him back. “I’m still gonna figure out something crazy nice to do for you alright? Like super nice. Victor will quake at the sight of my awesome nice thing for you.”

            “Okay.” Yuri laughed as Otabek peppered his face in little kisses. “Hey, stop, it makes me all red.”

            “You’re so cute.” Otabek smiled, giving him one more squeeze before he pulled away. “I’m gonna knock you on your ass when I figure out what to do for you.”

**

            When they went to bed, Yuri pressed Otabek to open up a little more about his parents, but didn’t get very far. Otabek was too tired, or at least pretended he was, and fell asleep before Yuri could get too much out of him. It was a little early, so he stayed up a bit, watching the TV in their room on low volume, snuggled in with a sleeping Otabek. He was finally getting tired enough to turn it off and go to bed when Otabek started to squirm a little in his sleep.

            “Hey Beka, wake up.” Yuri said in a soft voice, sitting up, so he could shake his shoulder. “You’re having a bad dream.”

            Otabek turned over, but didn’t wake up, so Yuri shook him harder until his eyes flew open and he gasped, chest heaving as his eyes darted around the room to remind himself of where he was.

            “Are you okay?” Yuri asked, reaching out to put a hand on his shoulder. “Hey, talk to me.”

            “Fuck.” Otabek croaked, curling into a ball with his back still turned to him.

            Yuri recognized that crack in his voice and laid down, so he could spoon him, holding Otabek close as he cried. “Shh, it was just a dream.” Yuri cooed, pressing his lips against his shoulder. Otabek had this way of crying that just broke Yuri’s heart, like he was trying so hard to hold it back and he was embarrassed, but couldn’t help the quiet sounds escaping his lips. “Baby, you gotta talk to me. I’m here to help you, but I can’t if you keep it all bottled up.”

            “How could they die hating me?” Otabek sniffled, turning around and burrowing himself into Yuri. He hid his face in his neck and wrapped his arms around him, squeezing tight while he cried onto his shoulder. “I thought they’d come around one day a-and I know it’s dumb because I hated Dad. He was an abusive asshole and Mom wasn’t much better, but fuck, I didn’t think they were gonna hate me for the rest of their lives.”

            “Oh Beka.” Yuri kissed the top of his head and squeezed. “It’s okay. You were the best son they could have asked for and they were too shitty to realize it. I know it hurts what they did to you, but try to think that they got what they deserved, alright? Those people were so hateful to you, but I know they’re your parents. It’s hard to have zero love for them at all. I’d feel the same way.” His chest ached, feeling Otabek trembling against him. “You know you’re worthy of love though, right? Even if they made you feel like you’re not.”

            Otabek just choked back a sob and shook his head.

            “Beka…”

            “I’m fucking not, Yuri. I mean I don’t even know what I’m doing trying to raise Mara and I’m dragging you down and I’m acting like a mess again like I did last year and now-“

            “Otabek.” Yuri sighed and pushed him back a little, so he could look into his eyes. “Do you think I would stick around and raise a kid with just anyone? I mean I know it’s not like we’re sixteen and pregnant, but we both know that we weren’t ready at all to do this. You’ve never even had a dog for God’s sake, but I love you so much, that I want to do this with you. I’m not doing it because I feel like I have to. I mean I love Mara now that she’s a part of our family, but Beka, you are the sweetest, most amazing guy in the world okay? You deserve love.”

            He sniffled a little and held onto Yuri tighter. “I love you.”

            “And I love you too.” Yuri smiled. “I’m sorry you have to go through so many things at once. Just tell me anything I can do to make you feel better and I’ll do it.”

            “Just keep doing what you’re doing.” Otabek smiled back a little even though his breath was hitching and his eyes were still wet. “I don’t want to talk about this stuff anymore for right now, but um… I-I’ll stop dodging your questions and stuff. I think I’ll have more nightmares if I don’t talk about it.”

            “Yeah Beka, you gotta stop repressing so much. I’m here for you, so y’know, talk to me.” Yuri pressed his lips against his forehead and sighed. It broke his heart seeing him so upset. “You wanna watch TV for a little and get your mind off it so you can sleep?”

            “Mhm.” Otabek leaned in and kissed Yuri’s neck, a quiet little thank you, before he sat up and took the remote from where Yuri had put it on the nightstand. He flicked on some talk show then settled down into Yuri, resting his head on his chest.

            “You’ve been so cuddly lately.” Yuri laughed, running his fingers through Otabek’s hair.

            “Mm, I get clingy when I’m stressed. Help me register her for preschool after practice tomorrow.”

            “I will, but stop thinking about the to do list right now. Try to relax a little.”

            “I know, it’s just that-“ Otabek stopped speaking when the door creaked open and sat up. “Mara?”

            “I can’t sleep.” She sniffled, holding her baby doll as she stood in their doorway. “Can I sleep with you guys again?”

            “Is it good for her to keep doing this?” Yuri asked, biting his lip.

            “It’s just a second night.” Otabek looked towards her and nodded, gesturing for her to come over. “What’s keeping you up, Little Lady?” He asked as she crawled into bed with them.

            Yuri turned the TV off and laid down, smiling a little at that sweet look on Otabek’s face while he snuggled up with Mara.

            “It’s hurting.”

            “What’s hurting?”

            “My leg.” She mumbled.

            “Huh? Let me see it.” Otabek frowned, sitting back up and pulling the covers back. They’d both noticed a few scrapes and bruises from the car accident, but neither of them were aware of any serious injuries.

            Mara pulled up her night gown and revealed a dark purple bruise on her upper thigh that made Otabek’s face fall. It looked like four fingers had pressed into her skin. It wasn’t anything the car accident could have caused. With her dressing herself and being toilet trained, neither of them had seen it and Yuri felt his stomach flip when he saw the shape of it.

            “Mara, how did you get that?”

            “I’m not supposed to say.”

            “Mara.” Otabek pulled her into his lap and looked right into her eyes. “You need to tell me exactly what caused that.”

            She shook her head.

            “You’re not gonna be in any trouble.” He said, bringing one hand up to hold her cheek. “Mara nothing bad is gonna happen if you tell me. You need to tell me.”

            “Dad said not to tell anybody.”

            Yuri’s heart nearly stopped. Jesus Christ, so she’d even lied to the therapist about being abused. She’d been that conditioned. Otabek looked paler than he’d ever seen him.

            “Mara.” Otabek breathed, pulling her into a hug. “Hey, Dad can’t ever hurt you again okay? He’s gone and he can’t hurt you anymore, so you can tell us absolutely anything okay? I want you to talk to Beth about that stuff too. Can you do that? Don’t lie to her about Dad or anything.”

            “I’m not in trouble?”

            “No, Precious.” Otabek swallowed as he hugged her a little tighter. “If anyone ever hurts you, no matter who it is, you have to tell us okay?”

            “Okay.” She sniffled and Otabek kissed the top of her head, laying her down between him and Yuri.

            Yuri reached over her to give Otabek’s shoulder a squeeze and met his eyes for a moment, trying to tell him as best he could that it was okay without saying it out loud.

            He kept one arm like that when they all settled down to sleep, wanting to be touching Otabek, but also wanting to protect Mara, or feel like he was. What kind of a monster would hurt their own daughter? Especially someone as sweet and happy as Mara. They all fell asleep together, holding each other close like they were afraid to let go. Yuri couldn’t imagine how Otabek felt, but if his dad wasn’t already dead, Yuri would be just about ready to kill him. No one else was going to fucking hurt this kid. He didn’t care that they had to sacrifice for her. No one deserved to be protected more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since not a ton of plot development took place this chapter I'm gonna update again on Wednesday night with chapter 5 and then friday with chapter six, but I update faster when I get more feedback so if you're going to keep reading please let me know what you think!


	5. Chapter Five - Thin Ice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Otabek's a protective fool and Yuri's still out here doing his gosh darn best

            “Does that feel nice and tight?” Yuri asked as he finished lacing up Mara’s skates. He was afraid Yakov would give them shit for bringing her to the rink, but he was surprisingly understanding and actually seemed to like it a little bit. Mara was pretty adorable, so it wasn’t hard to win people over and after what they learned last night, they couldn’t possibly leave her alone.

            “They feel small.” Mara said, kicking her feet up so she could see the new white skates Yuri had bought for her. The morning had been really cute and nice, Mara seeming pretty happy over all. They were both shaken by that bruise, but neither him or Otabek wanted to scare her by acting too worried. It would probably help her the most to keep her happy.

            “Alright, Beka go get some serious practice in, okay? Don’t worry about us. I’ll practice my stuff when Mila gets here.”

            “Thank you so much, I just have a lot to work on.” Otabek said, giving him a thank you kiss that lingered long enough for Yakov to clear his throat and Otabek pulled away, blushing. “You’re being amazing as always. Just holler if you need anything at all okay? Just seriously don’t let her get hurt. She’s already banged up from the accident and the last thing I want is for her to feel scared around either of us, or the ice even.”

            “I got it.” Yuri nodded. “Go practice. I’ll take care of her.” He watched Otabek step onto the ice and smiled as he sped off to the center to practice. He just looked so much more relaxed out there. Otabek had been shaken up pretty bad just a few hours ago, so Yuri was relieved to see him smiling and happy to be skating.

            “Are you guys good at it?” Mara asked and Yuri laughed, scooping her up and walking carefully in his skates to the edge of the ice, planting her on the partition.

            “You want to watch Otabek for a minute? He’s about to run through his whole program.”

            “What’s that?”

            “It’s like his routine. He does it for a bunch of judges and they tell him if he wins or not.”

            “Does he always win?”

            “Sometimes.” Yuri smiled. “Here, look he’s gonna practice to his music so you’ll get to see how good he is.” He kept his hands on her little waist to keep her from falling off the partition and watched, a little smitten as Otabek’s music came on and he started to move. They’d worked really hard on improving Otabek’s musicality and God, had it paid off. He moved beautifully to dark, swelling strings section that backed his program, his steps on deep edges, and his jumps looking effortless. He’d gotten so fucking good. Yuri could just melt watching him.

            “Whoa!” Mara gaped when Otabek landed his first jump. “Can I do that?”

            “Maybe one day.” Yuri chuckled. “It takes a lot of work, but you can skate whenever you want, yeah? We’ll always take you.”

            “Beka’s really good.” She tilted her head back to look up at Yuri. “Are you that good?”

            “Mm, let’s say I’m close. Everyone’s got their own strengths, yeah? I’m probably more flexible than Beka, but he jumps better than I do.”

            “Cool.” She giggled, kicking her feet a little. “Can I try now?”

            “Sure, just don’t let go of my hand, alright? I don’t want you falling.” Yuri lifted her up and stepped onto the ice himself, holding tight to her hand while she stepped onto it. She fell immediately, not really understanding the lack of friction, but Yuri caught her and helped her stand upright. “Here, try to make the blades flat yeah? It’ll help you stand.”

            Mara nodded and shifted her feet around a little until she could stand on her own.

            “Great, now just hold on to me and try to shift from one foot to the other. Like this, okay?” Yuri stayed in place, but shifted himself a little from side to side to show her.

            Mara fumbled a little bit, but started to get the hang of it eventually and they were able to move slowly forward. He really needed to be practicing himself with the start of the season coming up so fast, but Mara looked so cute and happy on the ice that he didn’t really mind. Plus he felt so relieved knowing she liked him at least a little bit.

            “Hey, you want to see something cool?” Yuri asked when he saw Otabek skating towards them. Mara gave a little nod, so he picked her up and sat her on the partition again just as Otabek reached him.

            “Hey, are you guys doing okay?” Otabek grinned, sliding right up behind Yuri to hug his waist. “You guys look so cute, I just wanted to stop for a second and say hi.”

            “We’re having fun.” Yuri smiled back at him, leaning his head back on Otabek’s shoulder and planting a quick kiss on his cheek. “Hey can you lift me? I want to show Mara.”

            “Sure, how do you want to do it?”

            “Hand to hand, then throw me into a triple.”

            “Damn okay.” Otabek laughed, giving him a squeeze before letting go and skating over to Mara to give her a little kiss too. “You having fun so far?”

            “Yeah.” She giggled. “Lemme see you skate with Yuri.”

            “Alright, come on Yura.” Otabek said, backing up a long ways and letting Yuri come back to him before they both skated forward and he brought Yuri up into a hand to hand lift, keeping his balance as Yuri held tight to his hand and kept his legs straight while over Otabek’s head until he was brought back down. They took another second to pick up momentum, then Otabek picked him up again to throw him into a triple toe loop, which Yuri was relieved to land perfectly. “Shit we’re getting pretty good at that.” Otabek breathed as Mara clapped and giggled over on the partition.

            “You’re just crazy strong, I mean, you could probably snap me in half.” Yuri grabbed him by the wrist to pull him in for one more quick peck, pining for him a bit after being lifted like that before he pulled away. “Go back to practice, I’ll keep Mara busy.”

            “Thank you.” Otabek flashed that crazy genuine smile again and Yuri just grinned as he watched him skate away to keep working on his program.

            “You like that?” He said as he went back up to Mara, who was still giggling.

            “I wanna try!” She exclaimed, Yuri’s heart warming a little bit at the enthusiasm.

            “Hm, well I guess I can lift you up. You sure you want to go that high? I won’t drop you.”

            Mara nodded, so Yuri picked her up and held her over his head a few seconds while he skated forward, savoring the cute sound of her laughing before lowering her down again. “You wanna try to stand on your own?”

            “Uh huh.”

            “Okay here, just grab on to me if you start to fall.” Yuri helped her put her feet in the right position again and let go of her hand for just a moment, but that was enough for her to lose her balance and fall backwards. He thought she was fine for a second, it wasn’t like she’d hit her head anything, but then she started to cry and he felt like the worst person in the world. Shit, he’d had one fucking job. “Hey, hey it’s okay.” He tried to coo to her, kneeling down to help her up, but the sound of her crying already had Yakov looking towards him and Otabek stopping his practice again to come check on things.

            “What happened, is she okay?” Otabek asked, sliding to a hard stop and kneeling down next to her. “Hey Kiddo, you alright?”

            Mara just shook her head and cried. They both knew she wasn’t really hurt, but falling probably spooked her a bit.

            “Sorry.” Yuri sighed. “I was just trying to help her stand on her own, I thought-“

            “Yuri she’s already injured enough.” Otabek huffed, pushing himself back onto his feet and reaching down to help her up. “This was a bad idea for today. I’ll watch her until Mila comes.”

            “What?” Yuri’s heart sank. “Beka, she’s learning. She’s gonna fall.”

            “She’s four, Yura and she already has a bruise the size of fucking Jupiter. She doesn’t need anymore. I didn’t think you’d let go of her, I mean Christ, I told you not to let her fall.”

            “I-I’m sorry.” Yuri’s stomach flipped at the tone in Otabek’s voice. They’d hardly ever fought ever since they got together, so it was rare that he heard his boyfriend angry, but when he did, he hated it. He knew it probably wasn’t the healthiest thing to be so co-dependent, but Otabek was all he had without any family, so it tore his heart in two whenever he was mad at him. “Seriously.” He gulped, feeling guilt seep in as Mara sniffled in his arms. “Just go back to practice, okay? I can take care of her.”

            “Can you?” Otabek sighed and skated away from him, taking Mara off of the ice on the other side.

            Yuri watched him kneel down and give her a little talk to cheer her up, feeling his chest tighten. He hadn’t meant for her to fall, but it wasn’t like she’d gotten hurt, although he still felt bad for letting it happen. Otabek just didn’t have to be so mean to him about it. Now he felt like shit and he was afraid to even go over there. Would this make Mara not like him anymore? He heard Yakov sigh behind him and turned around, looking at his coach with sorry eyes. “I’m sorry. I know we need to be practicing, we just weren’t ready to stick her in daycare yet.”

            “It’s alright.” Yakov shrugged. “I’m surprised you guys came in at all today.”

            “You’re really not mad?”

            “I remember when my kids were that young. It’s hard. You feel like shit whenever anything happens to them even if it’s just a little fall on your watch.”

            “Yeah.” Yuri grimaced. “I mean she’s not even hurt, but I feel like the worst parent on the planet and Beka’s um… He’s really protective. I feel like he’ll hate me if I mess up with her.”

            “He’ll dial it down eventually.”

            “You think?” Yuri glanced back over to where Otabek had Mara giggling again already. “Am I being crazy trying to make her skate and stuff? I mean, I just want some way to spend time with her. I suck at this kind of thing.”

            “You’re a lot better than you think, Yura. Give yourself a little break.”

            He’d never really heard Yakov talk like that before. Maybe he wasn’t really doing so bad, even if he was making some mistakes here and there. “Thanks, Yakov. I’m um… I’m gonna go try to get him back to practice. I’ll join you guys when Mila comes.”

            “Fine with me.”

            Yuri skated off to the other side and stepped off the ice, his stomach turning a little as he looked at Otabek. “Beka?”

            “What?” He asked, deadpan as he kept his eyes on Mara and not on Yuri’s.

            “Are you mad at me?”

            “A little bit.”

            “I’m sorry.” Yuri said in a quiet voice. “I-I don’t want to keep you from practice. I can watch her off the ice, I promised you I’d take care of her, so you could get some work done.”

            “I think I should just wait with her until Mila comes.”

            “Beka do you seriously not trust me with her just because she fell? I mean she’s fine. She’s not even crying anymore.”

            “She’s supposed to be learning to trust us, Yuri. You can’t let go of her like that.” Otabek glared, hugging her tight like Yuri might somehow hurt her from where he was standing.

            He hated himself for it, but he felt like he could cry. He was doing his best. He couldn’t be perfect at this like Otabek was, but fuck, he was trying so god damn hard. The look in Otabek’s eyes when he glared like that made Yuri feel sick.

            “Why’re you yelling at Yuri?” Mara asked in a quiet voice, looking up at Otabek with those shiny brown eyes.

            “Huh?” Otabek blinked. “I’m not yelling.”

            “You’re being mad.” She started to squirm around a little in his arms.

            “I’m really sorry.” Yuri said, his voice nearly cracking. “I-I’m trying my best, Beka. I’m gonna make mistakes, please don’t be so mean to me when I mess up. I’m really doing the best I can. I-I just wanted to bond with her a little.”

            “I wanna go down.” Mara whined and Otabek set her down on the bench beside them, sighing.

            “I’m being a little harsh I guess.” He watched how Mara inched away from him a little and sighed, his shoulders slumping. “Shit, we can’t fight in front of her.”

            “Yeah.” Yuri sniffed, looking off to the side, so Otabek wouldn’t see him blinking back tears.

            “Are you crying?”

            “No.” Yuri glared back. “Don’t say that just to embarrass me.”

            “I’m not, I’m just…” Otabek stopped and took a deep breath. “Okay. I’m the one being an asshole here. You didn’t do anything wrong, I’m just paranoid about her getting hurt, okay? Can we wait a little while on the whole ice skating thing with her?”

            “Yeah that’s fine, just don’t be so mean to me over little things like this. I’m not a horrible person for trying to help her skate on her own.” Yuri looked down at his feet just to avoid Otabek’s gaze and swallowed the lump in his throat. He hated this shit. He was a tough person and he could be yelled at all day by Yakov and Lilia without blinking an eye, but the second Otabek raised his voice at him, or even sounded disappointed, he’d well up like some little girl. It made him feel weak.

            “You’re right. I’m sorry, I’m trying to figure this out too.” Otabek stepped forward and put his hands on Yuri’s waist, bending down so he could catch his lips in a warm kiss that eased the tension in Yuri’s shoulders a bit and brought some color back to his cheeks. “Seriously, I’m sorry.”

            “It’s okay.” Yuri blushed, wrapping his arms around Otabek too and just hugging him. “Can you trust me to watch her please?”

            “Yeah.” Otabek said as he squeezed him back. “You okay?”

            Yuri nodded.

            “And you know that I love you?”

            “I know.” Yuri laughed, pulling back, so he could give him one more little kiss on his chin. “Go back to practice now. Mila will be here any minute and I’ll come too.”

            “Okay, sorry for the drama.” Otabek shrugged, squeezing Yuri’s waist before letting go and smacking a kiss to the top of Mara’s head. “You feel better? I’m sorry for acting kind of mad.”

            “Yeah.” She smiled and he gave her an extra kiss on the cheek.

            “Play nice with Yuri and get your regular shoes back on. He’ll help you.”

            Otabek hugged her one more time then left and Yuri went to her side to untie the skates. “We’ll try again some other time, yeah? Sorry you fell. You’re not mad at me are you?” Yuri asked, a little afraid of the answer as he helped her into her sneakers.

            She shook her head.

            “Did you like it though?”

            “Yeah.” She smiled. “I wanna be like you and Beka.”

            “Yeah?” Yuri beamed, his heart warming at that. He knew he couldn’t put those expectations on her so early, but the thought of her growing up and becoming a great skater too just made him so incredibly happy. “Hey, why don’t we just watch him for a little while then? You can see some more of his moves and stuff.”

            “Okay. I like watching Beka skate.”

            “I do too.” Yuri laughed, scooping her up to take her back to the partition. “He’s better than he thinks.”

**

            The one benefit of having that little fight earlier was they had a rare excuse to have make up sex. Otabek got Mara into a game of tag around the apartment to tire her out, so they were able to put her to bed early and lock themselves in the bedroom. Yuri dressed up for him again and Otabek did all of the things that Yuri loved, but were sometimes neglected, giving him a long period of foreplay where he peppered his whole body in hickies and love bites. He teased him like crazy as always, but still did all the things that drove him wild, using his mouth on Yuri’s nipples and kissing the insides of his thighs, ghosting his fingertips over his skin in the most sensitive places just to get him to shiver. When they got to the actual fucking, they both liked things a teeny bit rough for sex like this where it was about fun and feeling happy with each other. The foreplay satisfied any emotional pining they had and also got Yuri warmed up enough that he had no qualms flipping over on all fours and keeping his hand clamped over his mouth for the next twenty minutes.

            It was almost impossible to stay quiet, Yuri burying his face in one of the pillows near the end just to be able to moan, but they finished, sweaty, and completely satisfied, both of them still panting when they laid down together.

            “The things you do with your body, Jesus Christ.” Otabek sighed, holding Yuri against him and rubbing one hand down his back. “I know we should get dressed, but I just want to lie here with you for a few minutes.”

            “Mm, I’m not complaining.”

            “I really feel shitty about how I talked to you earlier. Are you sure you’re okay now?”

            “I’m fine.” Yuri yawned. “You said you were sorry.”

            “Yeah, I just hate that I made you feel so bad when you didn’t do anything wrong. I’m a little too protective of her I guess.”

            “It’s okay. Just give me a little bit of a break here and there, yeah? I’m not as good at this as you are.”

            “You’re better than you give yourself credit for though. She loves you.”

            “You think so?”

            “I know it.” Otabek said, pressing his lips to Yuri’s forehead. “Hey so if nothing bad happens by the end of the week, I want to take you out on Friday night. I’ll do my crazy nice thank you present for you there.”

            “Okay.” Yuri smiled, blushing at the thought of a real date. “What about Mara?”

            “Victor and Yuuri can take her for a few hours I’m sure. Saturday we’re going to look at a preschool nearby, so don’t forget.”

            “Mm, I won’t. Let’s get dressed before she comes in though. Try to send her back to her own bed tonight, okay?”

            “Okay.” Otabek sighed. “Help me though. I can’t say no to her.”

            “I will.” Yuri chuckled, leaning over to kiss Otabek one more time before they’d have to pull away and get dressed. He wanted one more taste. “Hey I’ll make everyone breakfast before we take her to daycare, okay? Sleep as much as you can and I’ll get you up after Mara’s dressed and ready.”

            “You’re sweet.” Otabek smiled as he nuzzled his nose against Yuri’s. “Thank you. For everything you’re doing, not just like, making pancakes.”

            “Mm, you’re welcome.” Yuri smiled back. “You can pay me back next time Mara goes to bed early.”

**

            Yuri felt pretty relieved when they went to the daycare center. The kids were all around Mara’s age and the place was decked out with slides and ball pits, plenty of toys. She seemed excited to go.

            “So um, she’s got a lot of scrapes and bruises.” Otabek said to the woman in charge after Mara ran off to play. “She’s an abuse victim and she was in a car accident just before I became her guardian a few days ago, so could you just keep a special eye on her? I’m sure everyone asks you to do stuff like that, but I’m worried about other kids being rough with her when she’s already got some injuries on her and stuff and she gets scared really easily.”

            “We’ll take good care of her.” The woman smiled, looking over to Yuri. “Are you um…”

            “Uhh.” Yuri blushed and glanced at Otabek. “I’m helping take care of her too.”

            “Understood. Don’t worry, we don’t really judge here. Good parents are good parents.” She shrugged her shoulders. “So you’ll be picking her up at four?”

            “Yeah.” Yuri smiled. “You have our numbers right? In case anything happens?”

            “All in your paperwork.”

            “Great, so we’ll see you later.” Otabek said, putting his hand on Yuri’s back as he waved goodbye. They headed out together, eager for a little kid-free time, although Yuri felt guilty for thinking that. He loved Mara, but he needed to moan during sex, or he was going to explode. “Okay, so I’ll drop you off and then I’m gonna run and set up the preschool interviews.”

            “Huh? I thought we were going home a little, then practice.”

            “Oh shit, uh, no we still have practice in a little, but I have to do this preschool stuff like now and go schedule visits and interviews.” Otabek bit his lip. “Sorry. But hey I also have to run an errand for your surprise on Friday night, so forgive me?”

            “No, it’s fine. I could probably use some alone time anyways.” Yuri shrugged, planting a kiss on Otabek’s cheek. “I’m excited for Friday. I’m gonna take a bubble bath though.”

            “Hey treat yourself while you can.” Otabek shrugged as he took out the car keys. “Let’s go.”

**

            The bubble bath did Yuri some serious good and with Mara at daycare, he felt a lot better about everything, knowing they weren’t always going to be keeping an eye on her twenty-four seven. Plus, he was hoping she’d make some friends. He was surprising himself though with how wrapped up he was in this kid. She’d been around hardly three days, but he really felt like a parent.

            When Otabek got back, he hid something in his underwear drawer and made Yuri promise not to look before his surprise on Friday then they headed to practice together.

            The tension from yesterday was gone. They both did well in practice, landing their jumps consistently, and Otabek finally getting the hang of his tougher choreographic sequences. Since it was going well and Yakov was in a good mood, they practiced some of their pairs and ice dancing moves just for fun, Otabek lifting Yuri and spinning him around, smothering him in little bits of affection the entire time. Yakov did roll his eyes a little at them then, as did Victor and Yuuri when they arrived for practice, but Yuri liked being the cheesy couple for once.

            When they picked up Mara, they were happy and relaxed and more than eager to watch Disney movies with her and play hide and seek around the apartment. Yuri felt elated, like this was a whole new chapter in their lives. Things would get harder when competition started, but he loved this new life. They were a family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll do my best to update by Sunday night :) Don't forget to subscribe if you haven't already!


	6. Chapter Six - Family First

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> These boys finally getting a night out! Hopefully.

            On Friday night, Yuri wanted to look as nice as he could for Otabek. He put on the tight black suit that he always broke out for press conferences and paired it with a hot pink dress shirt, putting his hair up with the braids wrapping around his head even if it took a little extra time. He wore the cologne Otabek bought him last Valentines Day too. They’d dropped Mara off with Victor and Yuuri who were over the moon to practice their own parenting skills, so they had the apartment to themselves to get ready.

            “Alright Beka, you better treat me pretty well tonight.” Yuri said as he walked out to the living room. “Do I look okay?”

            “Holy shit.” Otabek blinked.

            “What?”

            “You um…”

            “Is it too much?” Yuri blushed. “I can change.”

            “No, no, no. God no.” Otabek came up to him and kissed the corner of his mouth, smiling when he pressed their foreheads together. “You look beautiful.”

            “Really?” Yuri grinned and looked over Otabek’s outfit. Just a black dress shirt and some nice pants, but usually Otabek went everywhere in jeans or sweatpants, so his mouth kind of watered seeing him dressed nice. “You look good too.”

            “You’re so fucking cute.” Otabek sighed. “I’ll drive. You can drink a little if you want.”

            “Oh fuck yes.” Yuri cocked his head towards the door. “Let’s hurry.”

            The drive was a little long, but Otabek took the scenic route by the ocean and Yuri felt as lovesick as ever. He wished it wasn’t so cold, so they could have a beach date. Maybe they’d all go visit Hasetsu again at some point and take a little vacation.

At the restaurant, they got some weird looks as a gay couple, but they were used to that and Otabek had reserved a table in the back, so they had their privacy.

            “I feel so lucky.” Yuri sighed, leaning his head on his hand as he looked at Otabek in the low light. “I thought this kid thing was gonna turn our whole lives upside down and it kind of has, but I just feel so good about everything, you know? I mean Mara just seems tough as hell with all she’s been through and she still seems so unphased and happy. Plus you’re so sweet with her.”

            “Yeah I was expecting her to have all kinds of problems, but I guess she just has nightmares and stuff.” Otabek shrugged. “Stuff might surface as we go along, but we’re doing pretty good so far right? I mean she seems like she’s happy and she’s gonna have that counselor and everything.”

            “I think we’re doing fine.”

            A waitress came along and Yuri got some wine while Otabek ordered pasta for both of them. Yuri was always indecisive at restaurants, so he usually had Otabek order for him and he’d never really gone wrong. Plus it was cute that his boyfriend knew him well enough to always order something he liked. When the waitress left, Otabek started to bite his nails and shift around a little, glancing away from Yuri’s eyes.

            “What’s up with you?’

            “Hm?” Otabek blinked. “Oh. Nothing, sorry, I just zoned out a little.”

            “You can tell me if something’s bothering you.”

            “No, no, I’m happy.” Otabek said, reaching across the table to hold Yuri’s hand. “I’m just um…”

            “You’re just…?”

            “I’m a little nervous.”

            “Why?” Yuri laughed. “It’s not exactly our first date.”

            “Fuck, I’m kind of blowing this.” Otabek laughed too and gave Yuri’s hand a squeeze. “Look um, I’m gonna explode if I wait, so I’m just gonna do the whole thing.”

            “What are you talking about?”

            “Yura.” Otabek said as he took Yuri’s hand up to his lips, kissing his knuckles. “You are the single most understanding and loving and funny, smart, kind person on the face of the Earth. Like I can’t imagine telling anyone else the things I’ve told you, or raising a kid with someone else. I just love being with you and having you in my life and um… I-I know I’m sounding really cheesy.” His face was burning red even in the dim light and Yuri’s heart skipped as he started to put the pieces together.

Was Otabek doing what he thought he was doing?

“I’m talking too much, but my point is that I love you.” Otabek swallowed, his face just as red as Yuri’s as he spoke. “Like a lot. A-And um… I-I know that with the laws and everything, we can’t do it here, but I can’t imagine this is where we’ll all live forever, so I thought I should do this now anyways.” Otabek let go of Yuri’s hand and fumbled as he got a small black box out of his pocket, flicking it open to reveal a silver ring studded with little diamonds. It almost looked like it was made of ice and Yuri’s eyes welled up just looking at it.

            “Beka.” Yuri breathed, putting a hand over his mouth.

            “We might not have a wedding for a really long time, but I want you to be my husband, you know? I want to do this with you.”

            “You fucker, I’m gonna cry in public.” Yuri croaked, holding out a shaky hand for Otabek to slide the ring on to.

            “Is that a yes?”

            “Yes you dick, fuck, yes. I-I love you.” Yuri sniffled a bit and wiped his eyes before holding his hand closer to examine the ring. “I can’t believe you did something like this.”

            “I know.” Otabek smiled. “But I mean, you deserve a ring and everything. Maybe we’ll do what Victor and Yuuri did and get married in Japan or something if we’re gonna be living here for a while.”

            “Oh my God, Mara can be the flower girl.”

            “Holy shit that’s adorable.”

            They both laughed and Yuri leaned across the table to give him a kiss, swiping his tongue over Otabek’s lower lip and holding him there for a moment. He’d kiss him a lot harder if they weren’t in public, but he’d do it properly once they got home. “I’m so fucking happy. I can’t wait to rub this in Victor’s face.”

            “Do you like the ring and everything?”

            “I love it. It’s perfect.” Yuri grinned down at it again, his eyes still welling a bit just from sheer happiness. “The diamonds look like little snowflakes.”

            “Yeah? I thought that too.” Otabek hooked his ankle around Yuri’s under the table. “So you want a big wedding?”

            “Kind of. Can we afford it?”

            “I think we’ll have to save for a while.” Otabek shrugged. “But we can make it happen. I want us to have that.”

            The food came a few minutes later and as good as it was, Yuri was almost eager to finish. God, he never thought he’d be getting married, but having that ring on his finger he was just so happy, he could cry. He felt so sure about it. He wanted to go to bed with Otabek every night, wake up with him every morning, eat all the amazing food that Otabek would cook for them. He wanted to keep raising Mara together and Yuri couldn’t stop picturing the wedding either. He could wear white and Otabek could wear black, or they could both match in white, or maybe they’d just choose their own colors, but Mara was definitely going to be a flower girl.

            As soon as they were both done eating, they paid the check in a hurry and rushed to the car, Yuri unable to keep his hands off of Otabek the whole drive home. He kept kissing his neck at every stop light, his hand on his thigh, his head on his shoulder while they were moving.

            “You’re killing meeeeee.” Yuri whined as Otabek fumbled to unlock the door. “Bekaaaa.”

            “You know I have another surprise for you before we fuck, right?” Otabek said when he got the front door open and tugged Yuri inside to lock it behind them.

            “What?”

            “Hey I told you I was gonna go all out.”

            “What is it?”

            “I’ll show you.” Otabek tugged him close and planted his lips on the middle of his forehead before dipping down to catch his lips in a much dirtier kiss. “Hey we’re not stopping tonight until I make you cum three times.”

            “Holy shit.” Yuri blinked. “That’s um… That’s a first.”

            “Yup.”

            “Okay don’t say yup when you’re trying to dirty talk me.”

            “Shut up.” Otabek laughed, taking Yuri’s hand to lead him to the bedroom. “Sit down.” He said as he cocked his head towards the bed.

            Yuri did what he was told and felt his face burn red when Otabek bent down to kiss him, those gentle hands coming up to slide off his jacket and unbutton his shirt one by one. Yuri relished in the cool air against his skin once his shirt was off and reached down to palm himself when Otabek’s tongue curled briefly around his own.

            “Not yet.” Otabek whispered, his lips wet as he took Yuri’s hand away. “Stay right here okay?”

            “Okay.” Yuri laughed, trying to think of what Otabek might have in store. They’d been together a long time now, so there wasn’t a whole lot that they hadn’t tried. He watched as Otabek rummaged through his underwear drawer. “How much stuff do you have hidden in there?”

            “Kind of a lot actually.” Otabek said, taking out a blindfold and walking up to kiss the top of Yuri’s head. “Don’t worry, I won’t surprise you with anything too crazy. I’ll tell you what I’m doing and everything.”

            “Holy shit, Beka.”

            “Right?”

            Yuri took his hair down and let Otabek tie the blindfold over his eyes. Maybe he’d be nervous doing this a few years ago, but he trusted Otabek entirely. It wasn’t like he was going to hurt him or anything. He felt Otabek untie his shoes and slip those off along with his socks before coming up to unzip his dress pants, instructing Yuri to lift his hips, so he could get him completely undressed.

            “Are you comfortable and everything?”

            “You know you’re a little too sweet to pull off kinky blindfold sex.” Yuri said, feeling his way back to laying on the bed. “I’m good, but don’t make me the only one naked.”

            “Okay.” Otabek laughed a little and Yuri heard him get himself undressed before he went rummaging around in that drawer again. “Don’t touch yourself. You’re not gonna last long.”

            “That’s a pretty cocky claim to make, Beka.”

            “Mm, you’ll see.”

            Yuri felt Otabek crawl into bed beside him and purred when he started to kiss his neck, wrapping his arms around Otabek’s shoulders and tipping his head back to create easier access.

            “I’m gonna mark you up a lot, so just be prepared to deal with Yakov complaining.”

            “Don’t talk about Yakov when my dick is out.”

            “Ew don’t say it like that.” Otabek laughed before he came up and nuzzled his nose against Yuri’s, catching his lips in a kiss and gradually licking his mouth open until it deepened and Yuri’s heart started to race.

            The blindfold actually did make it feel really hot. Everything was a surprise. When Otabek’s hands came up to touch his nipples or dipped down to graze over his erection, he had no way of putting his guard up and purred for him with every little touch.

            “I’m gonna prep you, okay Babe?” Otabek murmured and Yuri nodded desperate as he opened his legs and Otabek got the lube, slicking up his fingers for him.

            “Hh, Beka you can’t do that and not touch me.” Yuri whined when his first finger slipped in, rubbing against his prostate just to get him going. Otabek was always so good at fucking finding it. He could make Yuri cum with one finger if he wanted to.

            “Be patient.

            “Bekaaaaa.”

            “You’ll get it soon.” Otabek assured him as he slipped another finger inside.

            “Fuck, you’re mean sometimes.” Yuri breathed, his thighs twitching a little as Otabek stretched him out. It was taking all of his will power not to just touch himself, but he played Otabek’s game and resisted until he’d finished with his fingers.

            “Ready for part two of your surprise?”

            “I thought part two was the blindfold.”

            “Okay, part three.” Otabek said and Yuri felt a smooth blunt object press against his entrance, tensing at the unfamiliarity. “It’s okay, relax. I’m not gonna do anything to hurt you.”

            “You better not.” Yuri swallowed as Otabek eased it inside of him. He knew it was some kind of toy, but wasn’t sure exactly what. It felt about the same size as Otabek though and it didn’t hurt as Otabek slid it in deep enough to fill him. “I-Is it just like a plug or-“ Otabek pushed something at the base of the toy and Yuri’s back arched up off the sheets when it started to vibrate. “Beka!” He whimpered, feeling his fiancé push it in and out of him, pressing it hard against his spot until he gasped on every artificial thrust.

            “Sit still for a second.”

            Yuri bit his lip hard, but complied, feeling his face burn even redder when the familiar warmth of Otabek’s mouth enveloped his cock. The surprise was almost all it took and the moment Otabek sunk his mouth all the way down, Yuri’s head tipped back and he moaned, loud and high pitched like he was normally too embarrassed to do. This was fucking insane. The vibrations right against his prostate and Otabek dragging his tongue around his tip. He couldn’t possibly hold out.

Yuri came hard, crying out at the top of his lungs as Otabek swallowed every bit of it, his chest heaving with his breath until it passed. He took the blindfold off when he finished and sat up, sweating as the toy continued to press against him. “Take it out.” He said in a quiet voice, his thighs still trembling. “I-It’s too much.”

            “Oh shit, sorry.” Otabek wiped his mouth and slid it out from between Yuri’s legs, placing the pink silicone vibrator on the bed beside them. “Hey, one orgasm down.”

            “Jesus Christ.” Yuri breathed, still panting. “I… I mean, fuck, that was-“

            “Good?”

            “Really good.” Yuri pulled Otabek forward and on top of him, desperate to kiss while he wrapped his legs around the taller one’s hips and his arms around his neck. He could barely breathe as he kissed him, wanting to translate how absolutely _insane_ that had been and how crazy in love he felt when they discovered something new in bed. In the fleeting moment Otabek pulled back to breathe, all Yuri could think was _please God, don’t fucking let go of me_. “So you owe me two more, yeah?” He blushed, still soft from having cum so recently, but he could feel himself starting to perk up again. “You must be dying, do you want to just fuck me?”

            “Um.” Otabek stopped and bit his lip for a moment. “I’m dying, but you’re probably too sensitive for me to get in there right this second.”

            “No, no I’m fine.” Yuri said, reaching for the lube and pouring some into his hand before he reached down between them to wrap that hand around Otabek, tightening his grip when he stroked up.

            “Fuck.” Otabek sighed, his eyes falling shut. “Okay yeah, I’m gonna explode if I don’t start.” He took the lube too and added a little more to Yuri’s entrance to make sure he wouldn’t hurt him when he shifted his hips and reached down to guide himself in.

            “Whoa.” Yuri laughed, shivering a little from all the tingles as Otabek eased inside, stretching him just a bit more than the toy had. “That feels so weird after cumming.”

            “Good weird?”

            “I mean yeah because I’m getting hard again.” He rolled his hips to help himself adjust and sighed when Otabek started to rock back and forth a little, short shallow thrusts that exaggerated those subtle tingles. “Remind me to fucking thank Victor and Yuri for babysitting. I hate silent sex.”

            “Well be loud while you can.” Otabek murmured before dragging his mouth down Yuri’s neck. “You’ve got two orgasms to go.”

            Yuri couldn’t help but keep glancing at that engagement ring during sex. Every time he looked at it, his heart just fluttered with the same strength it did when they’d first started dating.

            “Okay, I might need to restart in order to give you orgasm number two and three.” Otabek laughed in a breathy voice, nuzzling his nose against Yuri’s neck as he pushed his hips back and forth. “I forget how tight you are sometimes.”

            “Ooh, wait, wait.” Yuri clenched his muscles and snickered when Otabek’s face turned red.

            “I hate you.” He said, biting his lip and slowing his thrusts.

            “I don’t know what you mean.” Yuri said as he tightened himself around Otabek and started to rock back against him.

            “Fuck.” Otabek sighed and the sound of that really helped Yuri’s cock perk back up. “Okay, I know you’re joking, but fuck, you’re seriously hot.” He snapped his hips forward and reached between them to wrap his hand around Yuri.

            “Oh fuck.” Yuri whimpered, hardening fully in his grip. Otabek stopped and rolled his hips and Yuri was still sensitive from the previous orgasm, so that just fucking wrecked him. “ _Fuck_.”

            “Cum for me again.” Otabek murmured, sucking again on the skin of Yuri’s neck.

            “You’re just saying that because you’re close.” Yuri breathed. “You cum first.”

            “Are you competitive over absolutely everything?”

            “Yes, now cum you asshole.” Yuri tipped his head back and let out a moan, more for Otabek than for himself. He kept himself clenched tight to make it better and pushed back against Otabek’s thrusts, pulling up to kiss his neck and whisper into his ear. “I’m gonna take your last name.” He’d planned a whole lot more to say than that, but Otabek’s hips stuttered right at that moment and he moaned in that low, guttural way that made Yuri shiver as he came with a series of deep thrusts. “Holy shit, did that really do it for you?”

            “Hold on, I’m recovering.” Otabek breathed, pressing a few lazy kisses to Yuri’s cheek and neck. “Here, I’ll blow you again.”

            “You don’t have to do that.” Yuri said as Otabek pulled out and started to slide down the bed. “Really Babe, I can just wait for you to- Hh!” He gasped, his toes curling when Otabek went down on him for a second time. “Jesus Christ, Beka.”

            Otabek brought him to orgasm embarrassingly quick and they took a little break, moving under the covers and just kissing, letting their hands wander over each other. _We’re going to be doing this forever_ , Yuri thought, sliding his tongue over Otabek’s lower lip. It just felt so right. It always had felt right being with Otabek, but now he knew this was permanent. This was going to be his fucking husband. He was going to have a new last name. The whole thing just made his heart throb and once they’d laid there long enough to be ready again, Yuri pushed Otabek onto his back and straddled his hips for one more round.

            They moved together, Yuri gripping one of Otabek’s hands in his while he eased himself up and down. When they finally finished for good, they were exhausted and sweaty, but more in love than ever.

            “I can’t believe we’re gonna get married.” Yuri whispered, nuzzling his nose against Otabek’s. “Our fans are gonna lose their shit.”

            “Wait until we have to go public about Mara.” Otabek laughed. “We should probably do a press release about both things, but we can do that when the season starts. I’m kind of enjoying our privacy right now.”

            “Fuck, me too.” Yuri sighed, lowering down to nuzzle his cheek against Otabek’s chest. “I love you.”

            “Aw.” Otabek gave him a squeeze and kissed the top of his head. “I love you too. Do you wanna-“ He stopped mid-sentence when his phone rang on the dresser and let go of him. “Shit, that might be Victor.”

            “Oh. Uh yeah, you should check that.” Yuri said, reluctantly pulling his arms away, so Otabek could get up and answer.

            “Hello?”

            Yuri watched as Otabek’s face fell and took that as a sign he should probably get up and get dressed.

            “Is she okay?”

            Shit, what happened? Yuri tugged his underwear on then came up behind Otabek to hug him and listen to Victor on the other side of the phone call. He didn’t make out much. Otabek just told him they’d be right over and hung up, Yuri taking away his arms so Otabek could get dressed. “Is everything alright?”

            “Mara’s having like a panic attack or something, they don’t know. She’s flipping out.”

            “Flipping out how?”

            “Like she won’t stop crying and she tries to run away from them if they try to get near her and she also had an accident, but we packed her extra clothes in case.” Otabek tugged his drawers open and threw on the first outfit he could find, tugging on a dirty pair of jeans and a t-shirt before tossing one to Yuri. “We need to go get her.”

            “Shit, do they know what happened?”

            “She saw a car crash on a commercial, some safety promo or something.” Otabek huffed, running his hands through his hair as Yuri pulled some shorts on. “I mean that’s not their fault, they were watching a kids movie and everything.”

            “Okay, well let’s just go calm her down. She has another appointment with Beth in a few days right? We can talk to her about this.”

            “I just hope we can calm her down.” Otabek grimaced, toeing on his shoes. “Are you ready?”

            “Uh…” Yuri blushed and raked his fingers through his hair real quick. “We’re both covered in hickies.”

            “Shit, oh well. Just get your shoes and let’s go.” Otabek cocked his head towards the bedroom door, so Yuri slipped on some running shoes that were close by and followed him out. His stomach felt uneasy at the thought of Mara being so scared. They were responsible for this kid and she was coping with trauma, so maybe they shouldn’t have left her with anyone else after barely a week of her living with them.

            They drove in tense silence the whole way. Nothing against each other, Yuri actually kept his hand on Otabek’s thigh the whole time just to ease both their anxieties, but they both felt worried sick.

            When they got there, Yuuri answered the door with a sniffling Mara in his arms, now dressed in a little pink nightgown they’d packed her for pajamas. “Hey guys.” He said, bouncing her gently up and down as he spoke. “We’re so sorry we interrupted your night and everything, but she just now calmed down and she was asking for you both.”

            “Both of us?” Yuri perked up a little at that.

            “Yeah.” Yuuri smiled. “Here, you can come in a second. Victor was just putting her clothes in the wash.”

            “Hi Beka. Hi Yuri.” Mara said in a quiet voice as they stepped into the apartment and Yuuri shut the door behind them.

            “Hey Princess.” Otabek cooed, stepping forward to take her from Yuuri’s arms. “Are you okay?”

            She gave a little nod.

            “What happened?”

            “I saw the car explode on TV.” She sniveled, pronouncing her x’s more like s’s which Yuri found pretty adorable.

            “Yeah? Why’d you run away from Victor and Yuuri.”

            “I didn’t wanna be in trouble.”

            “Aw you’re not in trouble, Sweetie.” Otabek hugged her close to his chest and pressed a few kisses into her hair. “Hey Victor and Yuuri love you too, yeah? They’re never gonna hurt you either.”

            “Does she think we’d actually hurt her?” Yuuri asked, his eyes full of concern like always.

            “Um, we found out that Dad used to hit her.” Otabek grimaced, rubbing Mara’s back. “If she thought she was in trouble, she probably thought you guys were going to hurt her.”

            “Oh God, I’m sorry.”

            “No, no you guys didn’t do anything.”

            Victor stepped out of the laundry room and rushed over. “Hey is everything okay now? We’re so sorry for calling, we really didn’t want to, but-“

            “It’s fine. I’m glad you did.” Otabek shrugged. “I think she’s okay now.”

            “Do you know why she um… I mean, did we do something? I know the car thing scared her, but if it’s something we did…”

            Otabek looked down at Mara and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Did they do anything that scared you?”

            “I thought they’d hit me ‘cause I had an accident.” She mumbled, hiding her face in Otabek’s neck.

            “Did Dad do that too?”

            She nodded and Otabek sighed. “We’re trying to get her to tell us everything he did, so we can tell the therapist. But yeah, you guys did nothing wrong. Thanks for watching her tonight.”

            “Yeah, any time.” Victor said, his arm wrapping around Yuuri’s waist. “I’m sorry we had to call again. Did you guys-“ His eyes drifted downwards and bugged. “Holy shit.”

            “Huh?” Otabek blinked.

            Victor pointed at Yuri’s right hand and beamed, looking back at Otabek with a shit-eating grin that made Yuri roll his eyes. “Is that what I think it is?”

“Oh.” Otabek blushed a little too and glanced up to meet Yuri’s eyes. “Uhh…”

            “You guys can’t tell anyone.” Yuri said, bringing his hand up to show them the ring. “Seriously. I’ll murder you.”

            “Aw you guys!” Yuuri grinned, grabbing Yuri’s hand to take a closer look. “Otabek this looks like it cost a fortune.”

            “I mean I was kind of planning on it before we even got Mara, so.” He shrugged. “I’d been saving and stuff.”

            “Do you know what you’re doing for the wedding?”

            “Not yet, but we’re thinking Hasetsu.” Yuri said, leaning his head on Otabek’s shoulder and looking over to smile at Mara too. “Hey, I know what’ll cheer you up. You want to be a flower girl?”

            “Really?!” Mara jerked her head up and stared at him with wide eyes and her mouth hung open before turning back up to Otabek. “Beka, can I?”

            “Yeah of course.” Otabek chuckled, nuzzling his nose against her hair. “You can help us plan the wedding too.”

            “Whooaaa.” She drawled out and everyone laughed a little at that. It felt a lot less tense in the room seeing the kid smile again. “Is Yuri gonna wear a dress?”

            “HA!” Victor cackled, looking at Yuri’s red face. “Yuri come on, do it for the kid.”

            “Victor, I swear, I’ll hit you in the shin with a pipe and end your skating career right here and now.”

            “Joke’s on you. I’m retiring after this season.”

            Yuri rolled his eyes and gave Otabek a nudge in the side. “We should get her home.”

            “I’ll get her stuff.” Yuuri volunteered, still laughing a little as he went to get her duffel bag. “Seriously though, congrats and everything. Are you gonna tell Yakov?”

            “Yeah we should make him like an usher or something.” Yuri took the bag from him and slung it over his shoulder. “We’ll see you guys at practice tomorrow.”

            “Sure thing.” Victor grinned as he waved goodbye. “See you later love birds.”

            Yuri flipped him off on the way out, which only made Victor laugh more and they took Mara back down to the parking lot.

            “No.” She whined, shaking her head when they approached the car.

            “Ugh. Mara.” Otabek sighed. “Hey I’ll sit with you and everything, just please get in, alright? We have to get you home some how.”

            “I don’t wanna get in.” Her voice started to wobble again. “No.”

            “What can I do to make you get in the car?”

            “Nothing.”

            “Mara.”

            “Beka, take a breath.” Yuri said, putting his hand on his shoulder as he looked towards Mara. “Mara, we have to get home, okay? There’s no way around it. You’ve never, ever gotten hurt driving with us. I’ll sit in the back to protect you too. Can you get in?”

            Mara didn’t say yes, but she seemed calmer, so Yuri opened the car door and took her from Otabek’s arms. She whined, but she didn’t kick her scream when Yuri buckled her into the car seat.

            “Thanks.” Otabek gave Yuri’s shoulder a squeeze before moving into the driver’s seat.

            Mara seemed to be really excited about the two of them getting married, so Yuri was able to distract her by talking about wedding stuff pretty easily. She was crazy about what they were going to wear and what she was going to wear as a flower girl. It was enough to keep her from crying and they brought her right to bed when they got home.

            “Come get me if you have a bad dream okay?” Otabek said as he tucked her in and kissed her forehead. “Just try to sleep.”

            “Okay.” Mara nodded. “Goodnight.”

            “Goodnight.” Otabek smiled and tucked her hair back behind her ears before coming to meet Yuri in the doorway. “Are you tired enough to go to bed? I’m pretty beat.”

            “Yeah after what you did to me earlier, I’m ready to pass out.” Yuri said as he shut Mara’s door and they went into the bedroom to change into their pajamas. “Um, I know we got interrupted a little bit, but I’m really, really happy. Even if it’s gonna be forever before we can have a wedding, I just kind of feel okay about everything going on? I thought I’d be super freaked out by Mara and take forever to adjust, but it kind of just feels right having her with us.” He buttoned up his pajama shirt and slid into bed while Otabek did the same. “I like having a family.”

            “I feel the same way.” Otabek shut the light off and slid in next to him, arms wrapping instinctually around Yuri’s waist. “I’m gonna be a kick ass husband for you.”

            “Oh yeah?” Yuri laughed. “We’ll see. I’ll get better at cooking and then I can show you up at husbandry.”

            “That’s not what the word husbandry means.”

            “Fuck off, I know. Let me make a pun.”

            Otabek just sighed and nuzzled his nose against Yuri’s hair, squeezing him before he shut his eyes. “You’re so adorable. Sleep tight, Babe.”

            “Mm, you too Beka.” Yuri yawned, settling into the warm embrace of his now fiancé. “Let’s hope Mara makes it through the night this time.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next update will be Wednesday night :) Don't forget to leave feedback!


	7. Chapter Seven - Keep It Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A challenger approaches

            That night was hell on Earth. They hadn’t realized how easy they’d had it with Mara just having nightmares. They’d been able to plop her down in bed with them and go right back to sleep, or put on Disney channel for a few minutes until she knocked out. She had another accident at midnight, so Otabek got up and did the laundry, redressed her bed and put her back with clean clothes, being sweet enough to let Yuri sleep that first time around.

An hour later, she had another nightmare, so Yuri took her to bed with them, but all she did was fuss and squirm around. They were both awake by then, so they all went out to the living room and put Moana on for the thousandth time that week until it tired her out and put her back in bed.

Yuri thought that had to be it for the night when he settled back into bed with Otabek, but when three a.m. rolled around, they woke up to her crying in her room and had to rush in.

            They took a different approach that time and slept in her bed with her, really desperate just to sleep anywhere and she fell asleep with them like that, but was up and energetic at five in the morning.

            “Yuri, I can’t.” Otabek croaked, watching as Mara tore apart her toy chest for something to do. “We have to go in like an hour.”

            “Ugh.” Yuri sighed and rolled over to snuggle back into his side. “Look, I’ll stay with her today. You go to practice. I’ll get up now.”

            “What? You don’t have to do that, I can-“

            “No seriously. You have more work to do than me and she had a rough night, so we maybe shouldn’t leave her at daycare today.” Yuri pushed himself up and grimaced over at the mess Mara had made digging for her princess tiara. He loved the kid, but he did not feel like cleaning before the sun had even come up. “I’ll get up now. Go back to bed in our room and I’ll try to keep her down.”

            “Are you sure?”

            “Yeah.” Yuri stretched his arms out. “I got it.”

            “You’re the best. Seriously.” Otabek sat up and leaned over to give him a kiss on the lips, lingering for a moment before getting up and leaving to get some sleep in their room.

            Yuri forced himself out of bed then and scooped up Mara, kissing the top of her head. “Alright Ladybug, let’s settle down okay?”

            “I’m boooored.” She whined. “Can we do something fun?”

            “Like what?”

            “I dunno.”

            “You’re not giving me a whole lot of help here, Kiddo. You wanna go do your hair for the day?”

            “Yeah!” She beamed and Yuri’s heart warmed at how sweet and genuine that smile was. What a tough fucking kid, still acting so happy after a night like that. He kissed her cheek and carried her into the bathroom where he undid her braids from yesterday and combed her hair through. He actually really liked doing hair. Maybe that could be his fall back career.

            “Hey so it’s just me and you today.” Yuri said as he started to make the parts in her hair. “Is there anything you want to do?”

            “Can we get ice cream again?”

            “Hmm. Maybe. Let’s clean your room today and if you do a good job, we’ll go get ice cream.” That seemed like some good ass parenting if Yuri had ever heard it.

            “Okay.” She smiled. “Will you help me?”

            “Sure.” Yuri took a hair tie from the bathroom drawer and tied off one of the parts to keep it separate. “We’ll come up with some other fun stuff to do too.”

**

            Yuri actually had an awesome time spending the day with Mara. When Otabek left, they cleaned her room and he walked her down a few blocks to the ice cream place, so she wouldn’t have to worry about the car. A lot of girls stared at them there, which Yuri thought was pretty funny. He especially liked how they stopped looking when they saw the engagement ring.

            After ice cream, they played dress up a bit and he let Mara try to do his hair. It was a mess, but she was actually kind of getting the hang of it. She knew what to do and everything, but her hands were a little too small to accomplish it. He painted her nails for her, which she loved, and they settled down in the evening to a Disney marathon with some healthy snacks he’d looked up how to make.

            Mara hadn’t gotten bored of him and he didn’t mess anything up. She seemed happy and entertained and it just felt good knowing she liked him. By the time Otabek was about to come home, she’d fallen asleep and Yuri put her down in her bed for a nap. He was just tucking her in when the front door opened and he walked out to greet Otabek. “Hey.” Yuri grinned. “How was practice? I actually just had the best time with Mara today.”

            “Cool.” Otabek mumbled, dropping his duffel bag and kicking his shoes off. “Do we have any beer?”

            “Huh? No. There’s, uh, wine I think.” They had beer in the apartment every now and then, but they rarely drank it.

            Otabek rolled his eyes and brushed past him to go to the kitchen.

            “Is something wrong?” Yuri frowned, looking him over for any deep bruises Otabek might have gotten from a bad practice, but he was wearing leggings, so he couldn’t tell.

            “Yes. I don’t want to talk about it.” Otabek huffed as he opened up the kitchen cabinet and took out the wine, grabbing a glass too and filling it half way.

            “What?” Yuri’s stomach turned at the angry look on his face. “Beka, you can’t say shit like that and not tell me what’s going on. What’s wrong?”

            “Can I just fucking breathe for a second before getting into it?”

            “Jesus, I didn’t do anything.” Yuri swallowed, stepping back from him. He didn’t deserve to be talked to like that. Not when he’d done nothing wrong. “You’re scaring me a little.”

            “Yura, I’m just pissed and for once I need to be pissed, okay? So leave me alone if you can’t handle seeing it.” Otabek took a long sip from the wine glass.

            Yuri’s hands were trembling a little. This just wasn’t normal for Otabek. Even when he was angry, he would rant, or he’d go make some music, he’d maybe go take a long shower, but he would never ever take it out on Yuri.

            “Where’s Mara?”

            “She’s napping.”

            “Ugh, now she’s not gonna sleep tonight.” Otabek sighed, running a hand over his face.

            “Beka, stop.” Yuri scowled. “I was great with her today. I really was and I don’t want you to make me feel like shit about it.” He stopped and bit his lip, trying to calm down before he got angry. He hated this. With anyone else talking to him like that, he’d bite back immediately and he’d curse and he’d yell, but with Otabek he was so afraid to talk back. He didn’t want to escalate things because then they would fight and then Otabek might walk out, or leave, or God forbid break up with him and the slightest thought of that happening made his eyes well up. He’d had too much fucking loss in his life, first with his mom, then his Grandpa, so any thought of losing Otabek terrified him. “Can I do anything to make you feel better? I just… I-I don’t know what to do right now.”

            “Don’t do that.”

            “Do what?”

            “Start acting super sweet and caring when I’m mad, so I feel guilty, or like the bad guy.”

            “That’s not what I’m doing.” Yuri croaked, a lump forming in his throat. “I-I don’t know what you want me to do. I mean, you come home all angry and you won’t tell me why and you’re being really fucking mean to me, but I-I can’t comfort you and I don’t want to fight with you, so what the fuck else is there to do?” His eyes were welling up and he hated himself for it. This was so fucking embarrassing.

            “You could leave me alone for five minutes.”

            “ _Fine_.” Yuri said, his voice cracking as he turned to walk away.

            “Why do you have to be so dramatic every time I’m mad about literally anything?”

            Yuri stopped and whipped back around. “Are you kidding me?” His mouth wobbled when he spoke. “You fucking know why, Beka. A-And you know how it affects me when you’re weird and ominous and you know what it does to me when we fight. If I do something wrong, or something that upsets you, I won’t give you shit for being mad, but I didn’t fucking do anything and you’re being so mean for no reason. It makes me feel like you don’t want to be around me.” He’d started crying halfway through speaking and his face burned red with the humiliation as tears trickled down his cheeks. “You’re scaring the shit out of me and I didn’t do anything wrong. I was a good fucking caretaker today and I was sweet to you a-a-and I took care of Mara all day just so you could practice and get some sleep, so this isn’t fucking cool.”

            “Yuri.” Otabek sighed. “Look, I’m just… I’m not mad at you, I’m just-“

            “You’re just taking it out on me.” Yuri sniffled, wiping his eyes as he stepped closer to him. “Otabek, you’re the only person that knows about my stupid abandonment issues, okay? Don’t use them to torment me because you know that when you act like this, I feel like you’re going to leave.”

            “I don’t know why you always jump to something as extreme as that. I mean, we’re engaged.” Otabek’s tone had softened, but it still had an edge that made Yuri feel unsettled.

            “You do know why.” Yuri glared this time. “You of all people should know what it feels like for your own mother to give you up like you’re nothing. Maybe it’s different for you because you were older when it happened, but I’ve had to deal with this anxiety my entire life, so when you pull this shit, I feel like I’m nothing to you.”

            Otabek put the glass down and looked away while Yuri wiped his eyes. “I didn’t mean to take it out on you.”

            Yuri just shook his head and let a quiet little sob fall out of his mouth. He really didn’t want to cry like this, but he couldn’t help it. He was so sensitive when it came to Otabek. “You were so sweet this morning and last night. This just isn’t like you.”

            “Ugh.” Otabek stopped and took a deep breath. “Shit, I’m… Fuck. I’m sorry.”

            “Please tell me what’s going on.” Yuri pleaded, looking at him with what he knew were pathetic, wet eyes. “Please, it makes me panic when something’s wrong and you won’t tell me a-and my stomach hurts, I feel like you’re furious with me or something and-“

            “Shit, Yura.” Otabek breathed, looking at him with a much softer expression. “Hey, I’m really not mad at you. I-I’m panicking a little myself. Come here, I’ll talk to you.”

            Yuri rushed to close the gap between them and hugged him, crying out what he had left onto Otabek’s shoulder. “Don’t fucking yell at me like that.”

            “I won’t, I won’t. I’m sorry.” Otabek murmured, hugging him back tight. “Listen, I got a really bad phone call on my way here, like right before I came up and I was angry and I was freaked out and I didn’t mean to take it out on you, but I was just trying to process it.” He kissed the top of Yuri’s head and squeezed. “Are you okay? Fuck.” He took another deep breath. “I’m so sorry I talked to you like that.”

            “I-It’s okay, just what was the phone call?” Yuri sniffed, pulling back to look at him. “Is everything okay?”

            Otabek shook his head. “I have this aunt. She’s been estranged from the family for like years because of some kind of falling out. I don’t know details because it happened when I was little, but I kind of forgot about her and now um… N-Now-“ Otabek stopped and blinked his eyes like he might be welling up too. “Fuck.”

            “What? What is she doing?” Yuri asked, bringing his hands up to hold Otabek’s face.

            “Yuri, she wants to take Mara.” He choked, his lips quivering as he spoke. “I-I don’t know what to do. If she fights us, she’ll win. I-I mean we’re young and we’re gay and the law is not on my fucking side here even if I’m her legal guardian right now, she could stop the adoption before it goes through and Yura, if I lose her again-“ Otabek stopped talking again and looked down at the floor.

            “Holy shit.” Yuri’s heart dropped to his stomach. That was a pretty good fucking excuse for Otabek to be upset. “What do we do?”

            “I don’t know yet, but we have to keep her. We have to.” Otabek said, his eyes wide and scared when he looked back up at Yuri. “I’m so fucking sorry I made you cry, I just lose my shit thinking about losing her right now. I-I know how that stuff affects you, but I wasn’t thinking.”

            “It’s okay, it’s fine.” Yuri whispered, hugging Otabek against him this time and rubbing his back. “All I care about is that you’re sorry when this stuff happens, okay?”

            “Okay.” Otabek croaked. “I love you.”

            “I know.” Yuri breathed, squeezing him a little tighter. “I love you too. We’ll figure this out. Mara will want to stay with you, I’m sure that’s gotta count for something. It’ll be better for us when she starts school here too, right? She’ll be settled in and they won’t want to uproot her.”

            “Yeah.” He nodded. “Y-Yeah, you’re right.”

            “See? It’s gonna be okay.” Yuri reached down to take his hands and cocked his head towards the couch in the living room. “Come on, let’s just sit down for a second and breathe. Mara’s still asleep, so don’t worry about her.”

            Otabek let Yuri lead him and pulled him in close when they sat down, resting his head on Yuri’s shoulder. “I’m so sorry.”

            “I know. It’s okay.” Yuri smiled. This was the Otabek that he knew.

            “Ugh I can’t believe we got engaged last night and then I yelled at you.” Otabek sighed. “I’m the worst lately.”

            “You’re not the worst. I mean, yeah, don’t yell at me like that, but we’ve been working on this since before Mara okay? You have to talk to me when something’s wrong.”

            Otabek nodded and pressed a gentle kiss to Yuri’s neck. “We might have to lie about you. For the sake of the adoption, I think I need to just be a single dad, but don’t take that in any way as me not loving you and we’ll still get married in another country and everything. We just need to keep you a secret from my aunt.”

            “Doesn’t the social worker know about me?”

            “I called you a roommate. I’m sorry.” Otabek grimaced. “It’s just to avoid the legal stuff though, okay? You’re still Mara’s parent too.”

            “It’s fine, I understand.” Yuri said although it made his heart sink not being able to be Mara’s guardian too. “We’ll do what we have to do.”

            “God, you’re so fucking perfect. I’m gonna do another nice thing for you soon.”

            “You can’t propose twice Beka.”

            “No, but I can buy you flowers at least.” Otabek sat himself up straight and rubbed his eyes, taking one more deep breath to calm down. “I hate all this drama. Was Mara good today?”

            “She was great.” Yuri smiled. “We really bonded. We went out for ice cream and I did her nails. She tried to do my toes, so they’re a total mess, but I didn’t want to hurt her feelings and wash it off, so we’re just gonna live with that for a little while.”

            “Aw. That’s great.” Otabek smiled too and pressed a kiss to Yuri’s cheek. “I’m sorry I gave you shit for putting her down for a nap and stuff, I mean, she must be tired. It was really nice for you to take care of her today.” He pushed Yuri’s hair back behind his ears then gave him a proper kiss on the lips, holding him there a moment. “Look, I’m crazy stressed, but I didn’t mean to take it out on you. I’ll make dinner tonight and everything, you just relax okay?”

            “Beka, it’s fine.” Yuri laughed, leaning their foreheads together. “Look, I think Mara’s gonna make it through the night tonight. When she goes to bed, let’s just take a really long bubble bath, okay? You love that stuff. In the morning, we’ll do the preschool interviews and we’ll get her all set to start school before we start competing.”

            “Okay.” Otabek nodded, pressing one more kiss against Yuri’s lips. “You’re the best fiancé in the entire world, okay?”

            “I know.” Yuri laughed, pulling him into one more hug. “We’ll work all of this shit out together.”

**

            A bubble bath did some serious good for a relationship under pressure. After Mara went to bed for good, Otabek filled up the tub with some of the oils they saved for special occasion and too many bubbles. Yuri sat in his lap once they got in the water and spent a good five minutes trying to give him the perfect bubble beard before Otabek finally laughed it off and he looked so cute when he laughed, that Yuri just had to kiss him. Otabek was pretty hot when he was apologetic too. His hands wandered all over Yuri’s body just to warm him up, kissing his neck and his collar and his chest until Yuri’s head would tip back and his breath would get heavy.

            Yuri wondered if maybe they were having too much sex lately, but fuck, it was just so nice and relaxing and he never got bored of anything Otabek did to him. Even a hand job would have him squirming and whimpering like a virgin when it was Otabek.

            After the bath, they were both relaxed and crawled into bed together to go right to sleep, their bedroom door unlocked in case Mara came wandering in. Yuri had no clue how they were going to handle everything when competition started in less than a month, but they were going to figure out. They’d have to.

**

            “Okay Mara, you have to be on your best behavior, okay?” Otabek said, kneeling down to fix her hair as they stood outside the preschool. It was public, but it was application only and it was close to both their apartment and the skating rink, so it was pretty important for them to get her in there. They took the bus just so she wouldn’t be having any car-related tantrums before the interview.

            “I’m scared.” She pouted, tugging on her dress.

            “There’s nothing to be scared of. We’re just gonna talk a little with a lady from the school okay? Doesn’t this place look cool?”

            She shook her head.

            “I guess it’s kind of boring compared to daycare.” Otabek sighed, standing and picking her up. “You’ll have fun here, okay? I promise.”

            “I guess.” She shrugged her shoulders and tucked her head into Otabek’s neck. Yuri always thought it was adorable when she did that. He felt good about this whole thing. Who on Earth wouldn’t want a sweetheart like Mara at their school?

            They walked in together and signed in at the administrative building. The whole place looked a lot fancier than most public schools. Everything was made of wood and there was a lot of boring landscape art on the walls. It didn’t seem like much of a preschool, but it probably wasn’t like that in the classrooms. The woman at the front desk gave them kind of a weird look, but they ignored that and took their seat in the chairs on the side to wait.

            “I’m bored.” Mara whined and Otabek pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

            “It’ll just be a few minutes, Kiddo. Be patient.”

            As if on queue, a woman in a pantsuit walked out and greeted them with a smile. “Otabek and Mara?”

            “That’s us.” Otabek grinned, standing up and holding Mara with one arm, so he could shake her hand.

            She gave Yuri a little sideways glance, but shook Otabek’s hand and lead them back to her office. Surprisingly, her office was a little more like Yuri expected. There was a lot of children’s art on the walls and little toys on her desk, which they sat down in front of, Mara curled up in Otabek’s lap.

            “So, um, can I ask one question before we begin?”

            “Of course.” Otabek said, arms wrapped protectively around Mara.

            “Well I know who you are of course, you’re her current legal guardian correct?”

            “Yeah.” He nodded.

            “Adoption pending?”

            “Also yeah.” He laughed. “The paperwork uhh, moves a little slow.”

            “So who um… Who’s this?” She asked, turning to Yuri. “Just out of curiosity?”

            “Oh. Uhh.” Otabek cleared his throat and glanced over at him. “This is Yuri. He’s a really good friend of mine. I just got Mara, so he’s helping me out with her since I’m kind of new to all of this.”

            Shit. Yuri knew that they were going to downplay his role, but that stung pretty bad. Not that Otabek was doing anything wrong, he’d agreed to this of course, but it made his heart sink down to his stomach. He slipped the engagement ring off and tucked it in his pocket before she could see.

            “Oh. Well that’s nice of you.” She said, pulling open her desk drawer to take out a laptop and open it up. “So, Otabek you mentioned some special circumstances?”

            “Yeah, um… Our parents passed away pretty recently and Mara didn’t have anywhere else to go, so I took her in. She was also physically abused by our dad, so she has some lingering scrapes and bruises from that and from the car accident. I-I just wanted to be up front about that, so the school knows why she’s injured, but she has a lot of trauma, so I’m really concerned about other kids roughhousing with her and things like that and I was hoping the school would be willing to provide her with more support. I know our application was late, but I’m hoping you’ll make an exception given the circumstances. I don’t want her to start school late.”

            Yuri heard his voice waver a little bit and resisted the instinct to reach over and squeeze his knee or something. It would probably be best if he just shut up and sat still for the whole thing.

            “Okay, we have a few children here who have been through experiences like that. Does it have a major effect on her behavior?”

            Otabek shook his head. “No. She’s a sweetheart, she’s just really afraid of cars and she has a lot of nightmares, but she’s been in daycare for a little while now and she gets along great with other kids.”

            “Could I have the phone number of her supervisor at daycare?”

            “Oh yeah, sure.” He pulled his phone out and gave it to her.

            The rest of the interview was pretty straight forward. After she finished asking Otabek all the questions about her behavior, she put a puzzle on the desk for Mara to complete. That stressed the fuck out of both of them, having no idea what kind of education she’d had, if any, before coming here, but she figured it out almost instantly. Granted, it was only about six pieces, but still.

            The principal seemed to be pretty pleased with her and with Otabek, so they shook hands at the end and left on a good note. Yuri was happy that it had gone well, but his chest still had that stupid aching feeling. He felt like he was just as much a parent to Mara as Otabek was. It fucking sucked that he had to pretend to just be a friend helping out. He put his engagement ring back on as they started to walk back towards the bus stop.

            “That went really great, I’m so proud of you.” Otabek beamed, pressing a kiss to each of Mara’s cheeks. “I didn’t know you were so smart.”

            She just giggled and put her head back on his shoulder.

            “Yura, wasn’t that great? I think she’s in.”

            “Yeah.” Yuri nodded.

            “What’s wrong?”

            “It’s nothing. I’m glad it went well.”

            “You seem upset though.” Otabek frowned, reaching over to put his hand on Yuri’s back. “Talk to me.”

            Yuri laughed a little at the role reversal and shrugged his shoulders. “I just don’t feel too great. Let’s get home.”

            “Aw. I’m sorry.” Otabek leaned over and planted a kiss on Yuri’s cheek. “I’ll take care of you, alright? Let’s all go chill out for a little while.”

            Yuri’s heart warmed a bit at how sweet he was and decided to just let it go. It didn’t matter what they said on paper anyways. “Sounds good.”

**

            “Feeling better?” Otabek asked, coming over to where Yuri had just woken up from a nap on the couch and planting a kiss on his forehead. He’d taken Mara to the park after the interview to let Yuri sleep a little since he thought he wasn’t feeling well, but Yuri wasn’t gonna complain.

            “Hm?” Yuri yawned. “Oh. Yeah, how was the park?”

            “It was nice. Have you noticed that, like, women stare at us wherever we go with the kid?” Otabek laughed as Mara walked off to her room.

            “Oh shit yeah, when I took her for ice cream, they were all over me.” He sat himself up to make room on the couch. “I’m sleepy, come let me be clingy.”

            Otabek moved in next to him and pressed a line of kisses down his neck, one arm snaking around his waist just to touch him. “You seem really bummed out today, are you sure you don’t need to talk to me about something?”

            “I’m just a little sick.”

            “That’s what you say when you’re sad though.” Otabek nuzzled his nose against Yuri’s cheek. “What’s up?”

            Yuri sighed and leaned into Otabek’s touch. He could never hide anything from him. He’d really tried to let it go earlier, but it made him feel like shit that they were gonna pretend he wasn’t a real part of Mara’s life, or a part of Otabek’s for that matter. “It’s stupid.”

            “It’s not dumb if it’s something that’s bothering you.” Otabek said as he ran his fingers through Yuri’s hair. Yuri loved when he did that. It was relaxing and Otabek’s touch was always gentle.

            “I just felt really shitty having to pretend I was just your friend at that interview. I know we have to do it and I’m not mad at you or anything, but it just made me kind of sad.”

            “Oh shit, Yura I’m sorry.”

            “You didn’t do anything.”

            “I know, but I should have, like, checked up on you after that or something.” Otabek wrapped an arm around his shoulder and squeezed. “You know it doesn’t mean anything right?”

            “I know.” Yuri sighed, pressing into Otabek’s side. “I just… It’s dumb, it just bums me out. What matters is getting her into that school.”

            “Yeah, but I’m sorry you have to put up with all this. You want to watch a movie with Mara tonight? We can have cute family time before dragging ourselves to practice at six in the morning tomorrow.”

            “That sounds nice.” Yuri smiled, pressing a little kiss to Otabek’s cheek. “Victor sent me a reference for a lawyer by the way. He helped them with their surrogate contract and he’s really into helping out gay couples here.”

            “Oh shit, that’s great. We should really do something nice for him and Yuuri. They keep helping us out.” Otabek sighed and pulled away, pressing one more kiss to the top of Yuri’s head. “I’m gonna make dinner. Go check on Mara and make sure she’s not tearing her room apart.”

            “On it.” Yuri said, pushing himself up and looking down at his engagement ring a little as he walked to check on Mara. He loved wearing it so much it was hard not to look. At least he had that to remind him their relationship was real regardless of what the stupid laws said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for posting this chapter so late today i've had a rough week yall :/


	8. Chapter Eight - In Sickness & In Health

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They're on that parenting grind y'all

            “Okay, so we have Rostelecom Cup in two days. We can take her with us and trade her off, we’ll talk to the ISU official and make sure we’re skating as far apart as possible, like first and last, so there’s no risk of her being left alone while one of us does kiss and cry and one of us is on the ice.”

            “Okay.” Yuri nodded, scribbling it down on the legal pad in front of him. The competitive season was starting and shit was getting really hard, so they sat down on every Sunday night to organize everything they needed to do.

With the first competition so soon, they had to practice every day, which meant waking up at the crack of dawn to drop Mara at day care, practicing, rushing to pick her up, taking her to therapy, meeting with the social worker to try and push the adoption through, and the preschool had accepted Mara into the second round of the application process, so they had to take her in again to do more puzzles and weird math games too.

“I made her a doctors appointment, so we can see what’s up with those bruises. They’re not healing and it’s freaking me out.” Otabek said, putting it into the calendar on his phone. “Don’t hate me, but we have to do that the day before the competition. It’s the only time they could get her in.”

            “Shit, so tomorrow?” Yuri sighed. “Okay. When are we going to meet with the lawyer?”

            “Oh fuck, the lawyer.” Otabek groaned, resting his head on the dining room table. “Okay I’m gonna schedule that for like the day right after Rostelecom. We need to get that done.”

            “Alright, got it.” Yuri said as he wrote it down. “Doctor’s appointment tomorrow, competition the two days after that, then after Rostelecom, lawyer meeting. I think that’s it for now.”

            “Yeah?”

            “Yeah. Well, one thing.”

            “Oh fuck no, what else?” Otabek asked, lifting his head up.

            “Uhh…” Yuri blushed. “You know we never had sex this week.”

            “Shit, really?” Otabek blinked. “Ugh, I’m just so tired Baby, I’m sorry.” He reached across the table and squeezed Yuri’s hand. “We’ll do it tomorrow, okay?”

            “It’s fine, I’m tired too.” Yuri shrugged. “Mara’s down, do you want to just go to bed early?”

            “Yeah, is that lame?”

            “A little, but I’m exhausted.” Yuri sighed, pushing himself up and leading Otabek to the bedroom, so they could both change into their pajamas. It was a pretty cold night, so he put on the cozy fleece ones Otabek had gotten him for Christmas a while back.

            “Aw yay, I love when you wear those.” Otabek grinned, dressed in just a pair of sweatpants as he walked up and hugged him. “Mm, I kinda bought them for you just so I could cuddle with you in them.”

            “Oh my God.” Yuri laughed. “You’re clingy when you’re sleepy.”

            “Yeah, but so are you. Come snuggle with me.” Otabek yawned and pulled away to get into bed, holding his arms out for Yuri to nestle into when he joined him. “Hey if Mara wakes up, just bring her to bed. I know we’re trying to ween her off of it, but I’m sleep deprived and I think we both know by now that she’s like a teddy bear.”

            “Okay.” Yuri smiled, nuzzling his nose against Otabek’s jaw. “Hey I know stuff is getting crazy, but we’re gonna get through it alright? Try to relax a little bit.”

            “Alright.” Otabek smiled back and hugged Yuri close. “Thanks for being so awesome.”

            Yuri blushed a bit and relished in the comfort of Otabek’s hand rubbing up and down his back. He really hoped that Otabek would be able to let a little of his anxiety go once they got through the next few days. “Sleep tight, okay?”

            “Mm, I’ll do my best.” He yawned. “Sweet dreams, Babe.”

            “Okay, sweet dreams.” Yuri laughed. “Wake me up if you need something.”

**

            Their 72-hour grind started at five a.m. the next morning when they had to get up for practice, wrestle Mara into taking the bath she’d refused to take the night before, get her ready, get themselves ready and get all of them to the rink. Since she was going to get shuffled around a bit the next two days, Otabek had felt too guilty about taking her to daycare, so they gave skating another try.

            They went in shifts, practicing their final programs, then watching and skating with Mara. The kid was getting the hang of it a bit. She had a few minor falls, two on Otabek’s watch, so he at least learned his lesson a little bit there about being so paranoid with Yuri, but when they didn’t overreact to her falling, she got up just fine. By the end of the day, she was actually skating on her own, wobbly of course, but able to do so without holding one of their hands. It warmed Yuri’s heart to see that she actually liked being on the ice and near the end of practice, she was begging not to leave.

            “We’ll bring you back in a few days.” Otabek said as they carried her out to head over to the doctor’s appointment. “Now we’re gonna get in the car okay? Can you do the things that Beth told you?” He asked in a soft voice that only came out for Mara as they walked into the parking lot. Yuri loved that voice. It was adorable, but mostly it just reminded him how sweet and caring Otabek was with people.

            She pouted a little bit, but nodded her head. “Is Yuri gonna sit with me?”

            “Sure and you can have your candy if you’re good, okay? Are you gonna be good?”

            “I don’t feel good.”

            “Huh?” Otabek blinked, opening the car door. “How?”

            “I dunno, I feel sweaty.”

            “Aw it’s just from moving around on the ice so much. You’re okay.” He kissed her cheek then strapped her into the car seat, so Yuri could get in beside her.

            Yuri tossed their duffel bag in the trunk and strapped himself in next to Mara while Otabek got behind the wheel, taking the wrapped lollipop out of his pocket and tearing the plastic off for her. The therapist had advised them to try and get her to associate things she liked with the car, so they’d give her candy now and then if she didn’t throw a fit. He went to hand it to her as Otabek pulled out of the parking space, but she shook her head and leaned the way. “What’s wrong? Do you not like this one?”

            “My tummy hurts.” She whined, fidgeting a little in the seat.

            “Oh.” Yuri bit his lip. “Hey Beka, she’s like turning down candy. I think she really doesn’t feel well.”

            “Really?” Otabek asked, pulling out onto the main road. “Shit. She seemed fine just a minute ago, I mean she was laughing and everything.”

            “Maybe she was just distracted?” Yuri put his hand on Mara’s forehead. Shit, it was warm. Really warm. They must not have noticed she had a fever with how cold the ice rink was. “Beka, she has a fever. Like for sure.”

            “Are you kidding me? How did neither of us notice?”

            “It was cold in there, we probably didn’t realize how hot she was.” Yuri sighed and tucked Mara’s hair behind her ear. “Hey we’re heading to the doctor anyways, yeah? She’ll help you feel better?”

            Mara just whined again and shook her head.

            Shit, were they this negligent? She could have had the fever for an hour or more and they hadn’t noticed. Yuri hoped it had only just started to bother her since she’d been laughing and all that, but he felt like an idiot for not noticing her temperature. Looking in the driver’s mirror, Yuri could see that Otabek was looking pretty guilty and freaked out by it too.

            They rushed a little bit to get to the doctor’s appointment and Yuri hopped up to get her out of the car as soon Otabek parked.

            “I don’t feel good.” She sniffled again when he picked her up and set her on the asphalt beside him.

            “I’m sorry, Mara.” Yuri sighed. “We’ll go get you some medicine right now okay? How’s your stomach?”

            Mara’s face paled and before Yuri could hold her hair back, or do anything at all, she puked onto the pavement. It was a blessing she didn’t get it on herself, but Yuri didn’t know what the fuck to do about that.

            “Oh shit.” Otabek said, running around to scoop her up. “Come on, let’s get you some water.”

            She just sniffled and cried onto his shoulder as they rushed inside the pediatric center.

            “Shh, shh it’s okay. Do you feel better after throwing up?”

            “No.” Mara sniffed and Otabek kissed her head as they walked inside, taking her right to the front desk to sign in.

            “Hey, we have an appointment in ten minutes, but she just threw up in the parking lot, could we just get in as soon as possible? And do you guys have water for her somewhere?”

            The woman behind the desk just stood up and cocked her head towards the door adjacent to them. “She have a fever?”

            “Yeah.”

            “We’ll take her in now. Go through the door, I’ll bring you.”

            “Thank you.” Otabek breathed, Yuri following close behind him as they stepped through the door and the receptionist lead them to an examination room with little teddy bear wallpaper and a sink.

            “The doctor will see you in just a second. You can give her water from the sink.”

            She left in a hurry and Yuri’s stomach turned. She looked worried.

            “Beka, did we fuck up?” Yuri gulped, fumbling to fill a plastic cup with water while Otabek rocked Mara back and forth.

            “I don’t know. How did we not notice she was sick? I mean she was acting fine, but still. Ugh.” Otabek held the cup up so she could drink then set her down on the padded bench, kissing her forehead to check her temperature again. “Mara, were you feeling sick at the ice rink earlier?”

            “Not until the end.” She sniffled. “But we were having fun.”

            “Aw Sweetie, hey you gotta tell us if you don’t feel right, okay?”

            “I’m sorry I threw up.”

            “You didn’t do anything wrong. You’re just sick.” Otabek gave her a hug and Yuri’s heart warmed looking at them. He felt a little bit helpless, but Otabek seemed to have it covered.

            A doctor came in pretty fast, a young nice guy in a lab coat who didn’t give them any weird looks for being two guys and gave Mara some medicine to bring the fever down and a prescription for something else that would help the temperature and the nausea.

            “So um, w-we’re new at this.” Otabek stuttered, one hand still rubbing Mara’s back to try and soothe her. “What do we do? Do we just give her the medicine or should one of us always be up tonight to keep an eye on the temperature, or what?”

            “You don’t have to go that far.” The doctor laughed. “Maybe turn a baby monitor on in her room, give her the medicine before bed. If she throws up, get her cleaned and then just put her back to bed. Keep a good eye on her tomorrow.”

            “Shit.” Yuri sighed. “Beka, the competition.”

            “We’re just gonna have to deal.”

            “But how are we-“

            “She comes first.” Otabek glared and Yuri took a step back, his chest tightening at that look, so he stared down at his feet instead.

            “That isn’t what I meant.”

            “Can you check something else out before you go?” Otabek asked, turning back to the doctor.”

            “Sure.” He shrugged.

            “So we like literally just took her in a few weeks ago and um… O-Our dad used to hit her and she’s got this one bruise from him that isn’t healing and it’s kind of worrying us. It’s on her right leg, pretty high up.”

            “Let’s take a look.” The doctor nodded in understanding, moving up to carefully lift Mara’s dress and examine the bruise. “Oof. That’s deep. It does look a little faded though.”

            “Yeah?”

            “I think it’s fine. Keep an eye on it, but she’s small, so there’s definitely some tissue damage there. It’s just a really nasty bruise. It’ll heal.”

            “Okay.” Otabek sighed. “It hurts her sometimes when she goes to sleep, is there anything we can do for that?”

            “Give her some childrens Tylenol if it’s really bugging her. Pick it up with her prescription. Anything else?”

            “I think that’s all. Thanks.”

            The doctor left and Yuri just hung back and let Otabek get Mara. They really needed to figure out how they were going to take care of her while they were competing tomorrow, but now he was scared to bring it up. He followed Otabek to sign out and drove them to the pharmacy for her medicine while Otabek sat in the back with her. His own stomach was hurting now. He needed to skate well tomorrow, not just for himself, but because of the sponsorships. They needed that shit to take care of the kid and now he was freaking out about Mara being sick and Otabek being mad and it made him feel like throwing up too.

            He ran in and picked up what Mara needed, then just drove them straight home, so Mara could rest.

            “Here, you need to go to bed early okay? We’re gonna put a baby monitor right next to you, so we’ll hear if you need us.” Otabek said as he tucked her in, turning on the baby monitor hadn’t used yet and setting a glass of water and the bathroom trashcan by her bed just in case. “Can you try to get some sleep?”

            Mara gave a tired nod and Otabek gave her a kiss goodnight before going to meet Yuri in the doorway. “Let’s get our shit together for tomorrow?”

            “Are you gonna yell at me if I ask how we’re gonna take care of her while we’re competing?”

            “Huh?” Otabek blinked. “Did I yell at you earlier?”

            “No, but you fucking snapped at me in the doctor’s office.” Yuri muttered, staring down at his feet. He felt like shit. Otabek made him feel like he was so fucking secondary as a parent even though he’d been putting in just as much time and effort if not more.

            “I did?”

            “Yeah.” Yuri huffed. “Look, just tell me what we’re gonna do okay? I’ll do it, just you call the shots and stop being so mean to me.” He crossed his arms and kept staring down while he waited for Otabek to respond, but he was just staying quiet. “Well?” He glanced back up, but Otabek was the one staring at the floor now, his mouth quivering like he was about to cry. “Beka?”

            “I don’t know.” He croaked. “I-I don’t know and, did I really yell at you again? I didn’t even notice, Yuri. Fuck, I’m the worst. I-I don’t know how we’re gonna take care of her tomorrow and I didn’t even notice she had a temperature before, I’m just useless today.” His shoulders started to shake and Yuri’s heart sank. He was really freaking out. “I’m sorry. I-I’m sorry, I wish I could just tell you what to do, but I don’t know and I’m-“

            “Hey, hey.” Yuri said, stepping forward and taking his hands. “Stop, you’re freaking yourself out.”

            “What do we do?” Otabek asked. His eyes were welling up and he just looked so confused, Yuri needed to hold him.

            “Come here, we’ll figure it out.” Yuri said, tugging him towards their bedroom and sitting him on the side of the bed when they got inside.

            “Aren’t you mad at me?”

            “No.” Yuri sighed. “I still need to get used to your protective mode when something’s wrong with Mara I guess, but I know you’re freaking out right now.”

            “Yuri what are we gonna do?” He gulped, pulling Yuri between his knees and hugging him tight, his face pressed into Yuri’s chest. “She’s sick. She needs to be in bed and she needs us to take care of her, but w-we’re gonna have to take her with us. We don’t have a nanny yet a-and we can’t put her in daycare when she’s sick. Victor and Yuuri are competing too, so they can’t watch her.”

            “It’ll be okay.” Yuri cooed, pressing a few kisses into Otabek’s hair. “Look, we’ll take her with us. We’ll give her all her medicine and we’ll bring it there too. If she throws up there, someone will clean it up and one of us is gonna be holding her at all times except for the warm up and that’s just six minutes, yeah? Yakov can hold her for six minutes.”

            “I-I just feel like I should be here taking care of her.” Otabek sniffed. “I mean any sane parent would miss work to take care of their kid.”

            “I know, but our jobs are different and we need these sponsorships so we can take care of her.” Yuri was actually surprised that Otabek was crying over this. He knew how much he cared, but geeze. Otabek loved Mara so much that he was heartbroken just over not being able to care for her at home. “Hey she’ll probably puke it out tonight and feel better tomorrow anyways. It’ll be fine.”

            “I feel like such a shitty person.”

            “Don’t say that.”

            “I-I didn’t mean to make you feel bad.”

            “It’s fine.” Yuri said and he meant that. Otabek could be a little protective and he’d have to get used to it. He didn’t love him any less for being testy lately. “I mean that. It’s okay.”

            “You’re just so perfect all the time, I hate that I snapped at you at all.” Otabek pulled back and wiped his eyes. “Fuck, this is so stupid. I feel like all I do is freak out and cry on you lately.”

            “That’s not true.” Yuri laughed. “Hey, I like that you’re sensitive. It just means you care a lot.”

            “What about sex?” Otabek grimaced. “She’s gonna be up and down, so now we can’t do it tonight.”

            “I don’t care about that. Well-“ Yuri stopped. That wasn’t totally true. “I mean, I do care, but I’m not gonna die because we didn’t have sex for a week. We have a crazy amount of it usually, so a break won’t kill us. You want to just put our pajamas on and watch a movie?”

            “Yeah.” Otabek smiled. “Thank you.”

            “Don’t thank me.” Yuri bent down and gave him a proper kiss on the lips, holding him there for a short moment just to make him feel alright again. “I’ll go make movie snacks, okay? Put on something comfy and meet me on the couch.” He gave Otabek’s shoulder a squeeze then left to go make some popcorn. With their training diets, they didn’t get to have much junk, but it was just one night, so he slathered it in a shit ton of melted butter and made some hot chocolate too.

            Otabek came out in sweatpants and a t-shirt, but he looked kind of adorable. Yuri went back to their room to change into the pajamas Otabek liked and grab the baby monitor before joining him on the couch with one of the spare blankets and a bad movie on the TV.

            “You’re the best.” Otabek sighed, leaning his head on Yuri’s shoulder. “I honestly don’t know how I ever thought I could do this whole thing without you. You’re so incredible.”

            “You’re not giving yourself enough credit.” Yuri said as he wrapped an arm around Otabek’s shoulder. “You’re amazing with her.”

            “I just feel like nothing’s enough.”

            “All we can do is our best, Beka. You’re doing fine.”

            Otabek turned his head and pressed a few kisses to Yuri’s neck. “You know if we’re fast, maybe we can-“ The sound of Mara puking came through the baby monitor and Otabek stopped, pulling away from Yuri. “I’ll get it.”

            “We can both go.” Yuri pushed himself up and followed Otabek back to Mara’s bedroom.

            It was a pretty bad mess. She’d missed the trash can by a long shot, so it was mostly just in the bed.

            “Shit.” Yuri sighed. “I’ll go give her a bath. You do the laundry.”

            “Sounds good.” Otabek said, running over to hand her the water and kiss the top of her head, cooing her until her crying turned into sniffling and he helped her out of bed.

            “I’ll get you cleaned up.” Yuri said, taking one of her small hands to lead her to the bathroom. “Beka, I’ll put her clothes outside the bathroom.”

            “Sorry.” Mara sniffled as he brought her into the bathroom and it hurt Yuri’s heart that she thought she had to apologize for being sick.

            “You don’t have anything to apologize for.” Yuri knelt down next to her and helped her get out of the nightgown, dropping it just outside the door for Otabek to wash before he turned the water on in the bathtub. “Hey, you want a bubble bath?”

            “Can I?”

            “Yeah of course.” Yuri said, pouring the bubble bath in and stirring it around with his hand. “Alright, come here.” He let her finish undressing herself then picked her up and set her in the water.

            “I like the bubbles.” She giggled, splashing around a little as the water foamed.

            “You’re pretty happy for someone who just puked.” Yuri loved how fast this kid always bounced back. It reminded him of himself a bit and that kind of made him feel like she was really his daughter or something. He kissed the top of her head, then grabbed the shampoo. “Let’s wash that hair, okay? It was looking kind of greasy.”

            “Hey.” She pouted and Yuri snickered as he lathered his hands up with shampoo.

            “I’m just kidding. Get your hair wet, okay?”

            “You guys okay in here?” Otabek asked, cracking open the bathroom door and peering inside.

            “We’re all good. Do you want to come play with her?”

            “Yeah.” Otabek smiled. “I put the laundry in and remade the bed, so Mara you can try to go back to sleep when we’re done.” He knelt down next to the bathtub and leaned over to smack a kiss on her chubby cheek. “You feel better?”

            “Can I sleep with you guys?” She pouted. “My tummy still hurts.”

            “Are you gonna throw up on us?”

            “I dunno.”

            “Hm, try to make it in your own bed tonight, Kiddo.” Otabek said while Yuri washed her hair. “We’ll come right away if you need us.”

            “Okay.” She said, making a little fussy face, but it was clear she wasn’t going to make a tantrum out of it.

            Yuri thought he’d be freaking out, having to take care of a sick kid the night before their first Grand Prix assignment, but he liked this. He liked having two people that needed him and working together with Otabek to take care of Mara.

            They spent a little time with her there to keep her cheered up and so she’d know she wasn’t in trouble for throwing up or anything like she’d thought she was. When she was clean and happy, they dried her off and gave her fresh pajamas to change into before tucking her back into bed.

            “Sleep tight.” Yuri said, giving her a little kiss before Otabek followed and did the same, both of them telling her goodnight before retreating back to their place on the couch.

            “We’re gonna be up all night.” Otabek yawned, sitting back down on the couch and letting Yuri snuggle in next to him. “Tomorrow morning is gonna be rough.”

            “We’ll just have to deal with it.” Yuri shrugged, tucking himself under Otabek’s arm. “Do you feel better though?”

            “A little. I think I’m just freaked out that someone’s challenging our custody.” He grimaced. “It’s been so long since I’ve had a family, you know? Now we have one and it’s just… I’m so fucking happy having you and Mara.”

            “Aww.” Yuri turned and pulled him into a hug, pressing kiss after kiss into Otabek’s hair. “I’m happy too.” He gave his fiancé one big squeeze then pulled back to give him a real kiss on the lips, bringing his hands up to Otabek’s cheeks like he always did when he was overwhelmed by how sweet this boy was. When they parted, Yuri kept his hands there and nuzzled his nose against Otabek’s. “I love our family.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't forget to leave feedback! I'm hoping to have Chapter 9 up by Wednesday night.
> 
> UPDATE: Sorry everyone I'm going out of town for a debate tournament tomorrow night and wasn't able to finish editing the chapter in time. I get home Sunday night, so at the very latest expect chapter 9 on Monday. I'm hoping to get it up before then though.


	9. Chapter Nine - Rostelecom

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time for these boys to get this season goin'!

            “Alright, so we know how we’re gonna handle the press right?” Otabek asked as they drove towards the rink. It was early in the morning, but the drive was long, so they’d had to get up by seven at the latest. It hadn’t been easy. Mara had thrown up three more times throughout the night and they had to constantly get up to clean and get her back to bed, but mostly make sure she was still hydrated. Now the poor thing was exhausted, but her temperature was down and she was tired enough to sleep in the car without any fuss.

            “Yeah we’re just gonna bite the bullet right when we get there.” Yuri said, his hand resting on Otabek’s thigh as he watched him drive. “I’ll do the talking. Don’t let anyone take pictures of Mara. I’ll explain the adoption and the engagement, but we’re not saying a word about the custody dispute.”

            “Okay.” Otabek breathed. “Thanks for being so on top of that. I suck with the press and we haven’t had any time to talk to the PR people, so we’re just gonna have to deal with them being pissed.”

            “It’s okay, just stand next to me with Mara and look cute. The PR reps will get over it. I’m sure they’ll just be glad our fans are getting something, you know?” Yuri leaned over and planted a kiss on his cheek, careful not to linger and distract him from driving. “I’m really nervous.”

            “Really?”

            “Yeah.” He sighed. “I mean not that there was any other way, but all the training we missed in these past few weeks. I don’t feel confident.”

            “I’ll be confident for you. You’re gonna be amazing.” Otabek stopped at a red light and put the car in park for a moment, leaning over to give Yuri a kiss with way more tongue than Yuri expected to receive before eight in the morning. His hand came up to cup his cheek and he sucked his lower lip into his mouth, nibbling on it just a little to make Yuri gasp against him. Fucking Otabek. He knew Yuri would turn red if he did that.

            “What was that for?” Yuri blinked when Otabek pulled away, bringing a hand up to feel how warm his cheek was.

            “Well you look cute in the morning and I want you to feel confident today and uh…” Otabek glanced at the mirror to check if Mara was still asleep. “I’m not used to not fucking you twenty-four seven so I’m kind of, you know.”

            “Really?” Yuri laughed. “That’s kinda sweet.” He glanced down at the engagement ring on his finger and sighed as the light turned green and Otabek put the car back in drive. “Would it be crazy for us to maybe get married a year from now? Not that I’m in a rush, I just… I kind of like the idea of being married now.”

            “Maybe. Let’s see what the lawyer says about everything first and see if we can get a timeline on officially adopting Mara.” Otabek said, reaching one hand over hold Yuri’s as he drove. “I promise I won’t make you wait too long though, yeah? I really want to be married too.”

            “Mm, sounds good.” Yuri yawned and moved over as far as he could in his seat, resting his head on Otabek’s shoulder as he drove. “Don’t crash if I fall asleep on you, just jerk me awake.”

            “Will do.” Otabek said, taking his eyes off the road for a brief moment to kiss the top of Yuri’s head. “You really need more coffee.”

            Yuri dozed off for the rest of the ride and only woke up when Otabek shook his shoulder. He wasn’t in a bad mood or anything, but God, he was tired. “You got her?” He yawned, slinging their bags over his shoulder while Otabek carefully took Mara out of the car. She was awake, but still pretty drowsy and exhausted from the night before.

            “Yeah, I got her.” Otabek said, kicking the car door shut and locking up before holding her with both arms. “Hey Sweetie, me and Yuri have to talk to some people from the press, so be on your best behavior okay?”

            “Okay Beka.” She let out a little yawn and nuzzled her chubby cheek against this shoulder. Yuri could have melted from how cute it was. She was all wrapped up in a blanket and clinging to Otabek like a teddy bear. Yuri was almost a little jealous that Otabek was the one holding her.

            “Here.” Otabek held her up with one arm and reached his free hand out for Yuri to hold. “We’ll walk in together.”

            Yuri squeezed his hand and nodded as they started to walk towards the athlete entrance to the arena. There’d be press right behind the doors and they’d stop to answer a few things, then go straight to the locker rooms. If Victor and Yuuri weren’t around to watch Mara while they changed, they would just take turns.

            At the doors, they could already hear people buzzing behind them and Yuri took a deep breath before pulling the right door open, so they could head inside.

            The second they stepped in, there were camera flashes and Yuri stepped in front of Otabek to hide Mara from them. “Hey, hey no pictures.” He said, waving his arms to try and get all of their attention. “We can’t do a press conference, so we’ll answer a couple questions now before we go change, but no pictures. Seriously.” One more camera flashed and Yuri glared in the photographer’s direction until he stepped back, embarrassed, and lowered his lens.

            “Are the rumors true that you adopted a baby?” One woman asked, a younger looking reporter with a pen and paper instead of the usual voice recorder or tablet.

            Yuri sighed and glanced over at Mara. “Recently, Otabek’s estranged parents passed away. This is his little sister Mara and we’re taking care of her right now, but Otabek will officially adopt her soon.” That set off a lot of chatter and scrambling to take notes, so Yuri took a moment to give Mara a little kiss on the cheek. She looked really stressed out, so he figured they shouldn’t keep her in front of the press for longer than they had to.

            “Are you going to be adopting her too?”

            “We’re not discussing anything regarding the adoption other than Otabek’s role right now, but uh…” Yuri blushed as he held up his hand, turning to Otabek and laughing as they gaped at the ring. “We did get recently engaged. That’s all we’re saying for now though. We don’t want any more questions today that aren’t about the competition, but there will be a press release soon with more information. Please respect that, or honestly, one of us will have you thrown out because it’s a matter of safety for Mara.” He glanced towards Otabek and cocked his head towards the hallway that would take them to the locker rooms. “We can go.”

            “Thank you.” Otabek breathed, following him past the press members who were smart enough to keep their cameras off. The walk to the lockers was more closed off, so they didn’t have to worry much any more about the press back there. They knew Mara was going to end up on camera once they were out on the ice since she would be with them and probably in the kiss and cry too, but right then, she was tired and sick and needed to rest more than anything.

            Lucky for them, Victor and Yuuri were conversing right outside the locker room, already dressed in their warm up clothes.

            “Aw look at the little Altin family.” Victor gushed when he saw them, running over to see Mara. “What’s up with this little one?”

            “She’s sick.” Otabek sighed. “Spent the whole night throwing up, but we didn’t have anywhere to put her, you know? And we couldn’t stay home, so we gave her some medicine and we just brought her.”

            “Aw.” Victor stuck out his lower lip. “Poor thing. You want us to watch her so you can get changed?”

            “Yeah could you?”

            “Of course.” Victor said, holding out his arms for Otabek to ease Mara over to him. “Hey Little One, you feeling sick today?”

            “Yeah.” Mara mumbled. “I’m sleepy.”

            “She’s usually wide awake at this time.” Yuri smiled, reaching over to touch her cheek. It was warm, but not enough to be concerned about a fever again. “Hey we’ll be right out, okay?”

            “Mmkay.” She yawned.

            Otabek smacked a quick kiss against her cheek and said hi to Yuuri before tugging Yuri into the locker rooms. “We should just go ahead and get in costume, so we don’t have to come back here.”

            “Yeah.” Yuri said, taking a deep breath as he set their duffel bags down. His heart was still beating pretty fast and his stomach felt queasy. He just didn’t feel ready for this. He was used to nonstop training and all the interruptions had really messed up his usual regimen. Now he felt like the program wasn’t where it should be.

He took his costume out then stepped back to get himself undressed, glancing over to watch Otabek do the same. It would have been really nice if they could have had sex the night before. Now he was pining a little bit. He watched as Otabek stripped down to tight briefs and slid into his costume. It was tight and a deep purple color, a sheer back, with black studs bedazzling it. He looked like a rock star.

            “Are you gonna get dressed?” Otabek laughed, raising his eyebrows as he slipped on his skates.

            “Oh.” Yuri blinked. “Yeah, shit, sorry you’re just-“

            “You think the costume’s too much?”

            “Fuck no.” Yuri pulled out his own costume and tugged it on, a black leotard that covered him head to toe, bedazzled in gold. He liked how the gloves were built into the sleeves. He worried about them falling off sometimes when they weren’t attached. “We really look gay in this stuff.”

            “I think you look cute.”

            “Wow there goes my sex appeal factor.”

            “Aw no, don’t say that.” Otabek laughed, sitting down on a bench and tugging Yuri forward so he was standing between his knees. “You look beautiful.”

            “Beka.” Yuri rolled his eyes.

            “You do. Come here.” Otabek said, bringing his hands to Yuri’s hips and tugging until Yuri relented and sat in his lap, straddling his hips and pressing a kiss to Otabek’s forehead while his hands held his waist.

            “We shouldn’t get into it here.” Yuri whispered, Otabek’s hands drifting to his back and dipping down to grab his ass through the thin material.

            “I know, but just give me a minute. You’re nervous.” Otabek turned his head and pressed a few kisses to Yuri’s neck. “You’re gonna be so fucking great out there.”

            “Beka.” Yuri said, his cheeks warming as Otabek’s lips pressed against the sensitive skin. “I’m under practiced and I’m-“

            “Shh. You can do this and it’s gonna be great.” Otabek pulled back and brought his hands to Yuri’s cheeks, bringing their lips together in a tender kiss. Had they been some place else with just a little more time, Yuri would be dragging him into a shower stall, but a kiss like that made him feel a lot better. Otabek’s mouth was warm and comforting, his tongue gentle. Yuri kissed him back until his heart stopped racing and his chest felt a little less tight. “Little better?”

            “Yeah.” Yuri smiled, pressing one more kiss to the corner of Otabek’s mouth before climbing off of him and getting his skates on. He was still nervous, but his stomach wasn’t in knots as much. They finished getting ready and grabbed their water bottles for practice before heading out to take Mara back.

            Yuri was the one to hold her this time and he treasured that a little bit. She curled right up in his arms and tucked her little face into the crook of his neck, still sleepy from the long night before. He just felt so nice knowing Mara trusted him. He carried her and walked slowly with Victor, Yuuri, and Otabek towards the open arena, careful not to fall in the skate guards.

            “Are you warm enough?” Yuri asked as they approached the ice, the two other skaters competing, Georgi and Emil, already out there practicing. The surrounding seats were empty for now, but in a few hours, the place would be packed.

            “Yeah.” Mara mumbled.

            “We’re gonna have to take turns practicing.” Otabek said, putting his hand on Yuri’s lower back. “You’re nervous, so go ahead. I’ll take Mara.”

            “Are you sure?”

            “Yeah. I’ll practice when you get tired.”

            “Thank you.” Yuri smiled, although he hated to give Mara up. He handed her over to him and gave him a quick kiss before pulling away to join Victor, Yuuri and the others on the ice, leaving his skate guards with Otabek.

            The more he practiced, the better he felt. He didn’t go for any downgraded jumps just to make sure he was prepared to land them and surprisingly, he landed every one of them. He had a hand on the ice a few times and a couple landings stepped out of, but he wasn’t falling. He felt like he knew his choreography well too. Maybe the lack of practice hadn’t made that much of a difference after all.

            When he felt like he’d done enough, he hopped off the ice and sat down with Mara in his lap so Otabek could practice. She was pretty awake by then and cuter than ever, gaping as she watched Otabek jump and spin.

            “Hey Yuri?” She asked, her tiny hand holding onto one of his.

            “Yeah?”

            “Are you gonna wear your hair like that?”

            “What?” Yuri laughed. “Is it bad?”

            “It’s boring.” She pouted. “You should do braids.”

            “Maybe tomorrow.” He smiled, hugging her tight and pressing a few kisses into her hair just because he couldn’t resist squeezing. She was too cute. Yuri actually couldn’t believe how much he loved this kid by now. She could be so funny now and then and she had started to remind him a lot of himself. “We’re just doing a ponytail today.”

            “Aw.”

            Yakov arrived not too much later and gave all five of his competing skaters a little pep talk, which was really just telling everyone not to fuck up, but they were all pretty self reliant so they didn’t need much from him.

Soon the arena had filled up with people and the competition actually started. Yuri was feeling pretty excited by then. Mara didn’t seem to be feeling too sick, he’d done great in practice and warm ups, Otabek was being sweet. By the time Victor took to the ice as the first skater in the short program, he felt great.

“You’re gonna kill it.” Yuri said, still holding Mara as he sat with Otabek on the bench. After Victor, it would be Otabek’s turn, and then Yuri was skating last.

            “I’m glad you’re feeling better.” Otabek put his arm around Yuri’s waist and smiled at how Mara was dozing off on him a little. “She’s so attached to you today.”

            “I like it.” Yuri said, giving her a squeeze and a kiss on top of her little head. “I don’t know what it is, I just love having her around. I feel like she likes me now.”

            “She always liked you.”

            “I hope so.” Yuri kept his arms protectively around her and glanced back to the ice. He tried not to pay too much attention to everyone else’s performances, except for Otabek’s. He performed better if he just focused on himself. He felt a lot calmer, sitting there with the two of them. When Victor finished up his program, Mara gave Otabek a big hug and Yuri pulled him into a kiss for luck. “You’re gonna be so fucking amazing.” Yuri told him, one hand on Otabek’s cheek. “Go kill it okay?”

            “Okay.” Otabek laughed, giving him one last squeeze. “Cheer me on.”

            Yuri grinned when he pulled away and watched as Otabek went over to Yakov, Victor having just come out of the kiss and cry. He’d broken the hundred mark by a pretty good amount, but Yuri tuned it out and took Mara to the edge of the ice, so they could watch Otabek together.

            “Beka looks pretty.” Mara giggled, sitting on the partition with Yuri holding her up as Otabek took to center ice to wait for his music.

            “Hey, what about me?” Yuri teased. “I’m the pretty one around here.”

            “I’m pretty too.”

            “You got me there.” Yuri planted a little kiss on the top of her head and glanced up to watch as Otabek started his program. Being honest, this short program made his knees weak. They had choreographed it together, with Yakov’s advice and supervision, but it was so unique to Otabek’s style. The instrumental rock music with the deep guitar riffs Otabek moved perfectly to. God it had taken a lot to get his choreography to this point, but it was worth it. He went into his first quad with ease, landing a quadruple lutz like it was nothing and moving straight into connecting transitional steps.

            “He’s so cool.” Mara whispered, looking up at him with big eyes. “Is Beka famous?”

            God that was some of the cutest shit Yuri had heard in his life. “A little bit. He has a lot of fans.” He propped his head up on the top of her head and watched as Otabek approached his triple axel. Jumping was his strong suit, but axels were his worst and it always made Yuri anxious when he went into them. This time around, he nailed it just like he had the quad and Yuri breathed a sigh of relief. He’d gotten through his two hardest jumping passes, so he was probably looking at a pretty great score.

            Otabek kept up with the music and did everything exactly like they’d practiced. When he finished, Yuri was so proud of him that he took Mara and met him at the edge of the ice before Yakov could even get there. “Beka!” He beamed, throwing his free arm around him. “That was amazing, I can’t believe you performed like that at the first competition.”

            “Honestly? Me neither.” Otabek laughed, pulling Yuri into a quick kiss that set off a flurry of camera flashes.

            “Well done, Kid.” Yakov chuckled, cocking his head towards the kiss and cry. “Let’s go see that score.”

            They all walked together over to the kiss and cry, Yuri sitting next to Otabek with Mara in his lap and Yakov standing behind them.

            “Do you think it’s over the hundred mark?” Otabek asked, biting his lip as he grabbed Yuri’s hand for support, squeezing hard.

            “I think so.” Yuri nodded. “But even if it isn’t, that was really amazing, yeah? You did great.”

            “Thanks.” He breathed, glancing down at Mara. “You feeling better?”

            “My tummy hurts a little.” She pouted and Otabek leaned over to kiss her cheek.

            “Sorry Kiddo.”

            The PA crackled and Otabek jerked up, staring at the scoreboard with wide eyes as the announcement began. “ _The scores for Otabek Altin of Kazakhstan… One hundred point two seven! He is currently in second place behind Victor Nikiforov._ ”

            “Holy shit.” Otabek gasped, his hands flying up to cover his mouth. “That’s one point under Victor.”

            “Aw, Beka.” Yuri grinned as he pulled him into a hug, Mara squeezing him too as they all smiled crazy wide, Yakov clapping Otabek on the back in congratulations. “I’m proud of you.”

            Otabek just responded by taking Yuri’s face in his hands and kissing him, much deeper than they’d usually do in public, especially on TV. The footage wouldn’t be played anyways, it’d be censored, so Otabek really, _really_ didn’t hold back. Yuri let his tongue into his mouth and held him back tight until they broke the kiss, both of them red in the face and grinning. “I love you.” Otabek said, pressing one more kiss to the side of Yuri’s nose before he took his hands away, standing up so they could clear out of the kiss and cry.

            “I love you too.” Yuri smiled, still blushing as he stood up with Mara, who reached out and tugged on Otabek’s collar.

            “Good job Beka.” She said in a shy voice that made Yuri absolutely melt. How much of an angel could this kid be?

            They brought her back to one of the benches and sat down to wait for Yuri’s turn. Otabek seemed over the moon. He rarely ever broke the hundred mark and now he had a serious chance at the podium. Yuuri would probably knock Victor down a notch and if Yuri skated clean he might knock Otabek off the podium, which he felt pretty bad about doing. They both knew though that it was important for Yuri to do well though. He had a lot more sponsors and things, so there was more money riding on him and they needed that for Mara.

            “I just can’t believe that.” Otabek said as Georgi took the ice, his arm wrapped around Yuri’s waist. “I mean that was cleaner than how I’ve skated in practice, I just… Wow.”

            “It was amazing.” Yuri kissed him on the cheek and snuggled in a little closer to his side. “Now you don’t have to stress so much about the free skate.”

            “Beka, I don’t feel good.” Mara mumbled from Yuri’s lap, reaching out for him.

            “Aw, again?” Otabek frowned, taking her from Yuri and putting her in his. Yuri was a teeny bit jealous that she’d reached for him, but he had to remember that Otabek was her real brother and everything. It was instinctual to go to him first. “What’s wrong Ladybug?”

            “It hurts.” She whined, hugging her stomach and snuggling into his chest.

            “Poor thing. I’m sorry. We’ll take you home soon, yeah? We’ll probably be done here in an hour.” He rubbed her back and glanced over at Yuri, worried. “Could you go get her medicine? It’s been long enough. She can probably take some more.”

            “Sure. I’ll grab it.”

            They gave Mara a little more medicine and waited for the other skaters to complete their programs. Yuuri ended up choking a bit and fell to third place with Otabek still in second, but he didn’t seem too bothered. Both him and Victor were wrapped up in baby planning much more than their competitions. Mara was really getting antsy, squirming around in Otabek’s arms and whining about her stomach. Yuri’s anxiety was edging up again. Not only was almost everyone getting high scores, but Mara was getting a temperature again. Yuri was minutes from going on when her face went pale and Otabek was smart enough to rush her over to a trash can before she threw up again.

            “Is she okay?” He asked when Otabek brought her back over. She was crying again, her little face all red as Otabek sat down next to him.

            “Ugh, we need to get her home.” Otabek sighed, taking his water bottle and holding it for her to drink from. “As soon as you get your scores, we should head out.”

            “Yeah.” Yuri swallowed as Emil went to the kiss and cry. The PA crackled again and his heart leapt when they announced his name and the crowd roared. Fuck. He had so many fans at Russian competitions and it always put the pressure on.

He gave Otabek a quick kiss and handed him his skate guards before moving to the ice. His heart was racing. It was going to be really hard to podium and if he didn’t get a medal on his home terf, then his sponsors would have doubts and they would lose money and they might not be able to afford the wedding.

            He stopped at center ice and glanced back, trying to see Otabek and Mara while the audience roared. How high was her temperature? They couldn’t give her more medicine for another two hours. What if- Yuri snapped out of his thoughts when he heard his music start. _Shit_. He’d missed his fucking queue. That had never happened before.

            Yuri sped through his opening choreography to catch up with the music and tried to take some deep breaths as he moved through his footwork. How had he missed his music? He’d been distracted of course, but still there was absolutely no excuse for a mistake like that. He’d never done that, even in his junior days.

            _Get it together_. He thought to himself, glaring as he launched into a quadruple toe loop. It was a jump he usually did in his sleep, but he fumbled on the landing and leaned hard to his left, hitting an inside edge rather than an outside. Fucking hell that was an edge violation and an obvious one. He brought his leg up behind him into his first spiral position, thanking God that flexibility at least was something he couldn’t choke on.

            Yuri felt nauseous going into a quadruple salchow and rightfully so, his toe pick catching on the ice when he landed so he toppled over onto his hands and knees. _Fuck_. He shoved himself up and kept going through his connecting steps, but that fall had been rough on his knees. He went into a triple axel next and landed it well but not without a jolt of pain shooting up his leg. Rotating into a camel spin, that pain flared even more and moving down into a sit spin was agonizing.

His face was burning red with sheer embarrassment for the rest of the program. He managed not to fall, but stepped out of his landing on his triple flip and wobbled pretty hard in his final spin combination. When he hit his ending position and the music stopped, people still cheered, but there were tears pricking at his eyes. How had he blown it that hard? He’d choked a little before, but that had been a disaster. He didn’t bother waving to the crowd, just rushed to the edge of the ice where Otabek and Yakov were standing, Mara curled up in Otabek’s arms and staring at him with big eyes. The kid didn’t know much about skating but even she knew that hadn’t been good.

            “Yuratchka what happened?” Yakov asked in a gruff voice as Yuri took his skate guards from Otabek and put them on.

            “I don’t fucking know.” He swallowed. “That was humiliating.”

            “Yura, it’s okay. You still have the free skate tomorrow. It’ll be fine.” Otabek cooed, but it didn’t help the angry tears welling up in Yuri’s eyes. “Come on, let’s go to the kiss and cry.”

            Yuri sighed and kept his eyes cast down as they walked there, taking a seat on the bench with Otabek. He didn’t even want to turn around and see the look on Yakov’s face. He’d let everyone down.

            “It’s okay.” Otabek said, rubbing his back as they waited. “You’re still going to have level four step sequences and your spins were nice. That triple axel was perfect.”

            “It’s not enough.” Yuri gulped, trying to swallow the lump in his throat. “I-I don’t want to know what I got. I’m so fucking embarrassed.”

            “Don’t say that. Everyone has bad days.” Otabek put his arm around Yuri’s shoulders and pulled him close, pressing his lips into Yuri’s hair. “No matter what happens, you can always come back tomorrow.”

            Yuri just sniffled and blinked his eyes to hold the tears back, looking up when the PA crackled on once again.

            “ _The score for Yuri Plistetsky of Russia… Seventy-nine point three. He is currently in fifth place.”_

            “Fuck.” His voice cracked when he doubled over, the tears overwhelming him as the first sob escaped his lips. “I fucked up.” He cried, leaning into Otabek to try and hide his face.

            “It’s okay.” Otabek cooed, hugging him as best he could with his free arm. “Look, we can go home now. Let’s just go and you can have your privacy, okay?”

            “Okay.” Yuri croaked, his breath hitching as they stood up, keeping his eyes away from all of the cameras. “I-I don’t want to go change, just take me home please.”

            “Sure.” Otabek nodded, keeping his hand on Yuri’s lower back as they walked to get their few things and head back to the locker rooms.

            Mara had stopped crying, but she looked a little scared at the sight of Yuri being upset and that made him feel even worse for worrying her. They avoided everyone as best they could and went straight inside, putting jackets and pants on over their costumes and rushing to the parking lot before they could be caught by press or a concerned Victor and Yuuri.

            Mara didn’t put up a fight about being put in the car, so Otabek just strapped her in and turned around to face Yuri.

            “Are you okay?” He asked, his eyebrows pushed together in that sweet concerned look that always made Yuri feel better for crying.

            “Um…” Yuri swallowed and looked down, his mouth wobbling.

            “Come here.” Otabek pulled him into a hug and Yuri lost it, sobbing onto his shoulder and clinging to him.

            “I don’t know what happened.” Yuri cried, struggling to breathe as he clung to him. “I’m so sorry.”

            “You never have to apologize for something like that.” Otabek said as he squeezed Yuri back. “It’s totally fine. You still have tomorrow and the margins on everyone’s placements are crazy close. It’s anyone’s game and you know, your fans got to see that you’re human. Everyone still loves you.”

            Yuri just shook his head and kept his face hidden in Otabek’s neck.

            “Come on, let’s get home. We’ll all snuggle up and have movie night, okay?”

            “Okay.” He sniffled, pulling back and wiping his eyes. “I-Is Mara feeling better? How’s her temperature?”

            “She’s fine, Baby.” Otabek smiled, leaning in to give him a quick kiss on the lips just to make him feel a little better. “Get in the car, I’ll get us all home.”

            “Thank you.” Yuri took a deep breath and rubbed his eyes one more time before climbing into the passengers seat.

            “Yuri?” Mara’s small voice peeped from the back seat and he turned around to face her.

            “Hey you.” He said, managing a small smile.

            “Are you okay?”

            “I’m okay.” Yuri laughed with his stuffy nose as Otabek got in the car. It was adorable that she was asking. “Don’t worry about me, okay? Sometimes we just get a little sad when we don’t skate as well as we usually do. How’s your stomach?”

            “It feels better.” She nodded and Yuri was relieved at that. He didn’t want her to be up all night again.

            Otabek started the car and got them onto the road before offering a spare hand to Yuri, lacing their fingers together and kissing the back of Yuri’s hand.

            The drive home was long, but it gave Yuri a chance to calm down and Mara fell asleep in the back seat, so when they got back, Otabek carried her straight to bed and tucked her in. Her temperature had gone back down, so they felt like she should probably sleep while she could.

            “I’ll order pizza.” Otabek said when they shut the door to Mara’s room. “What can I do to cheer you up?”

            “You don’t have to work so hard.” Yuri shrugged.

            “I know, but I want to do what I can for you. You’re so hard on yourself when it comes to skating.” Otabek sighed, reaching up to tuck Yuri’s hair back behind his ears. “We still haven’t had sex. Do you want me to blow you or something? I really don’t mind.”

            “I don’t think I can do that right now.” Yuri grimaced. When he was upset, or just had something that was dominating his mind, he couldn’t focus on sex and the last thing he needed was to not get it up. “I’m sorry.”

            “No, no that’s fine.” Otabek said, kissing both of Yuri’s cheeks. “You want to just watch a movie? We can have a pajama party.”

            “Okay.” Yuri laughed. “Thanks for being so sweet.”

            “Don’t worry about it. I hate seeing you upset, you know?” Otabek dropped his hands down to Yuri’s waist and squeezed, leaning in to nuzzle their noses together. “I’ll give you a massage while we watch.”

            “You’re so over the top.” Yuri laughed, stepping closer to give him a proper kiss on the lips, catching Otabek’s lower lip in his mouth and sucking a little just to show some appreciation. “I’ll give you the works when we find time for sex, okay? Seriously, I’ll blow your mind.”

            “You do that every time.” Otabek said, giving him a little poke in the stomach just to make him laugh before pulling away. “I’ll go call the pizza place.”

**

            The last day of competition went okay. Yuri skated clean, so he managed to take bronze and keep his chance of going to the finals. Victor took gold and Otabek actually got second which Yuri couldn’t be prouder of him for. Mara seemed all better, but it was still a long day. They had the exhibition that night, but skipped the banquet and went home to put Mara to bed, both of them too tired again for sex, but Yuri was satisfied just curling up with his fiancé under a few extra blankets for warmth.

            “I know you’re hard on yourself, but you did great today.” Otabek murmured, his arms wrapped securely around Yuri’s thin waist, one hand up the front of his shirt to rest on his stomach. “Yuuri’s going to babysit for us while we see the lawyer tomorrow, so we can go out to dinner right after.”

            “Okay.” Yuri smiled. “That’ll be nice.”

            “Mhm.” Otabek pressed a lazy kiss against the back of Yuri’s neck and tightened his arms a little bit around him. “I’ll make us breakfast in the morning. Sleep tight.”

            “Wait, Beka?”

            “Hm?”

            “Can I ask you something?” Yuri blushed, rolling over in Otabek’s arms and nuzzling their noses together.

            “Yeah, of course.”

            “Do you think this custody thing will take more than a year? I mean we’ll do it for however long it takes, but um…” Yuri bit his lip. “I want to get married really bad.”

            “Let’s ask the lawyer tomorrow about timeline.” Otabek said, bringing one hand up to tuck Yuri’s hair back behind his ear. “I’m eager too.”

            “Okay um, one more thing.”

            “Sure.”

            “Uh.” Yuri laughed. “Don’t make fun of me, but um… when we’re alone, I really like when you use those cheesy pet names for me and I know it’s stupid and we don’t use that stuff often, but I like it and I kind of want you to do it more.”

            “You’re so fucking cute.” Otabek laughed too, pressing a kiss against Yuri’s forehead. “Sure, Baby. If it makes you happy.”

            Yuri smiled and tucked his red face into Otabek’s neck to shut his eyes. “I love you.”

            “I love you too, Tiger.” Otabek murmured, one hand pressed into the small of Yuri’s back just to keep him close. “Get some sleep.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait! I hope to have another chapter up before Friday!


	10. Chapter Ten - Psych

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On that custody dispute grind!!

            Yuri had been anxious to go and meet up with a lawyer, but the promise that he was gay-friendly did a lot to ease his nerves. They met him in his office, a cozy room stacked with books with two comfortable arm chairs for them to sit in before the attorney’s massive wooden desk, covered in notes and two separate laptops. He was younger than Yuri expected, which made him a little more comfortable too and he felt safe holding Otabek’s hand in front of him when they sat down for the meeting.

            “Alright, sorry things are a little messy here.” The lawyer said as he opened up the laptop on the left. “You can call me George by the way.”

            “Sounds good.” Otabek nodded, giving Yuri’s hand a squeeze. “You already got the gist of the situation from the phone call right?”

            “Yeah, I mostly just have some questions for you guys. I have the notice from your aunt that she’s challenging your guardianship, so we’ll talk a little bit about what that means in a minute. You’ll both have to have a psych evaluation and there’s going to be some home visits from social services, but I don’t think you have much to worry about. You need to do an official press release regarding Mara though. You don’t want rumors flying.”

            “Oh.” Otabek blinked. “Does Yuri have to go through all of that too?”

            “Oh yikes, right, okay we should talk about that first.” George said, loosening the tie around his neck and shutting the laptop, leaning his head on his fist as he spoke to them. “I understand why you guys are doing the half in half out thing. I get that the laws here are scary, but here’s the deal. Yuri’s a parent. Mara’s attached to him I’m sure and you guys are very obviously a couple. You live together, Yuri’s name is on your lease, you’re out all over social media and to those humongous fan bases you two carry. There’s no hiding it, so we’re just going to have to go with it.”

            “But he isn’t allowed to adopt her too, is he?”

            “He isn’t, but that doesn’t mean he’s not a parent. It’s just what’s on paper.”

            Yuri’s heart thumped. He thought he was going to have to pretend like he wasn’t involved in Mara’s life.

            “Basically Otabek is the one that’s legally responsible for her, but both of you are her parents and equally responsible for raising her. Also, being the athletes that you are, you should know it’s _crazy_ unlikely the government is going to persecute you for being gay. You’re prominent skaters and you can be on the Olympic team, so I wouldn’t worry so much about that.”

            “Really?” Yuri smiled over at Otabek. “Maybe we don’t have to worry so much about the wedding.”

            George raised an eyebrow. “Are you two getting married?”

            “Yeah, but not until the custody dispute is settled.”

            “That’s actually helpful. Shows you’re committed to each other, you know?” He opened the laptop again and sighed, typing out a few things. “Alright so here’s the deal. You guys free tomorrow at noon?”

            “Yeah, but we do have Mara.” Otabek said.

            “Can you have someone watch her for an hour?”

            “Probably.”

            “Okay, so noon tomorrow you’re both going in for psych evals. We do them right here in this building, just go to the second floor, room 2-301. I’m putting you in right now.”

            “Okay.” Otabek nodded, his hand tensing a little in Yuri’s grip.

            “Basically how this is gonna go down is over the next month there’s gonna be two home visits. One scheduled, one surprise. Then a social worker is going to interview Mara. We’ll send the psych eval, the home visit reports, the interview notes to your Aunt’s lawyer and then all of us are going to sit down to a mediation. You guys and me and your Aunt and her lawyer. Whole thing should be done in two months max.”

            “Wow.” Otabek swallowed. “Okay then.”

            “Yup. Any questions?”

            He shrugged and looked over at Yuri.

            “Oh wait, also drug tests tomorrow, so don’t drink today.”

            “Got it.”

            Now that Yuri’s anxieties were put somewhat to rest and the meeting was winding down, he was feeling a little… distracted? He let his eyes wander over Otabek as he discussed a few other things with the lawyer about the home visits, tuning out his words. He looked especially good today with tight jeans and a fake leather jacket, his hair slicked back. Their dinner date was soon, but fuck, Yuri really just wanted to have sex. He was pining for it. They couldn’t go home and do it though because Yuuri was there babysitting Mara and by the time they went to dinner and got back to the apartment, she’d still be up and they would have to give her a bath and get her to bed. Ugh he wished they could just do it in the car, but that was too risky.

            “Yura?”

            “Hm?” He blinked, snapping his head up. “Yeah? What’d I miss?”

            “Nothing, we can go now.” Otabek laughed, leaning over to plant a kiss on his forehead. “Come on, let’s go to dinner.”

            “Oh.” Yuri blushed, letting go of Otabek’s hand so he could stand up. “Cool, let’s go.” He turned back to the lawyer and waved. “Thanks for the help, we wire you the payment right?”

            “Yup.” George nodded. “Call me if you need me.”

            “Great, thanks.” Otabek said, putting his hand on Yuri’s back to lead him out of the office and back towards the elevator.

            “Beka?” Yuri blushed when the elevator doors shut in front of them.

            “Hm?”

            “Uh… Are we gonna be able to have sex tonight?”

            “Oh uh… I mean I was thinking about it, but I don’t know. It depends on Mara.” He sighed as the elevator dropped. “I’m kind of dying though.”

            “Me too.” Yuri grimaced, the elevator doors opening again for them to step out onto the first floor. “If we had the cash to spare, I’d say we could just get a hotel room for a few hours.”

            “Same.” Otabek said as they walked out to the car. “Fucking in here is too risky.”

            “Yeah I thought about that too.” Yuri strapped himself in and took out his phone, biting his lip. He did have one idea, but he was going to regret it. He just felt like he was going to explode if he didn’t get his fiancé naked in the next ten minutes. “Okay, I’m calling Victor.”

            “What?” Otabek blushed. “Why would you-“

            “They have that guest room.”

            “Yura, we’re not fucking in their guest room.”

            Yuri held up a finger to silence him and called Victor, holding the phone up to his ear and leaning away from Otabek so he couldn’t reach out and grab it from him.

            “Yuri?”

            “Hey Victor I have a favor to ask you and I will literally sharpen your skates for a year and buy you and Yuuri a thousand dinners if you can help me out, okay?”

            “Uh okay? What do you need?”

            “Me and Beka haven’t been able to have sex with a little kid in the house and we’re both dying and we have nowhere to go because Mara’s at home and we can’t do it in the car and we don’t have the money to throw away on a hotel room, so if you could give us your guest room for like thirty minutes, I will literally be your slave.” He bit his lip at that. “Not in a sexual way though, that’s weird.”

            “You… want to have sex in our guest room?”

            “ _Yuri_.” Otabek hissed, reaching for the phone, but Yuri laughed and leaned away from him.

            “Yes that’s exactly what I’m asking. Remember before me and Beka were dating? You said you’d do anything to help me get with him and your time has come.”

            “I mean, sure.” Victor laughed. “Weird, but sure. I don’t really care, but it’s cold out today, so just know I’m not leaving the apartment.”

            “That’s up to you, you’re the one that’s gonna have to listen to it.”

            “Christ, Yuri.”

            “I know.” He snickered, blushing as Otabek continued trying to reach for the phone. “Ah! Beka!” He cried out when he tickled him, squirming around and curling into a ball to protect himself. “We’ll be over in a minute.”

            “You guys are crazy. See you soon.”

            Yuri hung up and giggled a bit at Otabek’s hands still grabbing at him, putting his phone back in his pocket and taking one of Otabek’s hands.

            “I can’t believe you did that.” Otabek laughed, watching as Yuri guided his hand between his legs, pressing it down on himself and pushing his hips up. “Jesus.”

            “Yeah.” Yuri breathed, still grinning. “Drive to Victor’s or I’m starting without you.”

            “Aw that’s mean.” Otabek leaned in and planted a few teasing kisses on Yuri’s neck then pulled away to take the wheel, yanking the gear shift into reverse before backing out. “I’ll drive fast.”

            Yuri shrugged his jacket off as they sped towards Victor’s and ran his hand over himself through his jeans, just light touches to help ease the desperation and tease Otabek.

            “You’re kind of a slut sometimes, you know that?” Otabek said when they parked outside Victor and Yuuri’s apartment complex. “Come on, let’s take the stairs.”

            They already knew the security code, so they went straight into the lobby and raced up the stairs to the apartment, knocking until Victor opened the door.

            “I cleaned it up a little for you guys.” Victor laughed when he opened the door, cocking his head towards the guest room left of their den area. “I’ll put my headphones on, go have fun.”

            “I literally owe you my life.” Yuri said, pulling Otabek in and shutting the front door behind him. “Wait, fuck.” He spun around to face Victor again. “Do you have-“

            “Guest room has it’s own bathroom. Lube and condoms under the sink.”

            “I take back everything I have ever said about you.”

            “Here to help.” Victor shrugged.

            He grabbed Otabek by the wrist and yanked him into the guest room, slamming the door behind them and running for the bathroom. He opened up the cabinet beneath the sink and found a small tube of KY that he tossed onto the bed when he walked back out. “Clothes off.” He said, already pulling his shirt over his head and kicking his shoes off.

            “I can’t believe you asked Victor to let us fuck in his apartment.” Otabek laughed as he undressed himself.

            “Desperate times.” Yuri got himself naked and laid down on the four post bed, briefly wondering how on Earth Victor had so much money before he wrapped a hand around himself and stopped thinking about anyone but Otabek. “Hurry and prep me.” He breathed, opening his legs as Otabek crawled onto the bed and over him. “Here.” Yuri handed him the lube.

            “Don’t be so impatient.” Otabek smiled as he leaned in to kiss Yuri’s neck. “I have to warm you up, don’t I?”

            “You have to fuck me, that’s what you have to do.”

            “I’ll get there.” He brought his mouth down to Yuri’s collar and sucked on the skin there, nibbling until there was a mark before moving down to Yuri’s nipple.

            “Fuck.” Yuri sighed, squirming underneath him. “Beka, don’t I’ll cum early.”

            “You’re that desperate huh?” Otabek grinned when he pulled his mouth back up. “Hm, be a shame if you were to finish so early, yeah?”

            “Uhh yeah?” Yuri blushed, watching as Otabek slid further down his body. “What are you-“ Otabek took his cock in his mouth and Yuri’s back arched off of the comforter. “Ah!” He cried out, toes curling and hands flying into Otabek’s hair to tug at it. “Bekaaaaa.” Yuri whined as he bucked his hips up to meet with his mouth, something he usually controlled more, but he knew that Otabek wouldn’t choke anyways, so he gave in. Otabek brought one hand up between his legs to massage his perineum and Yuri is fucking wrecked, whimpering and pulling at Otabek’s hair, his thighs shaking. “Beka I’m gonna cum.” He gasped. “You gotta stop, I’m gonna cum.”

            Otabek managed to pull off in the nick of time and Yuri laid there, panting and holding onto his self control.

            “I hate you.” Yuri breathed, his thighs still tensing and trembling with how close he’d come to finishing.

            “Sorry you’re just never this desperate.” Otabek smiled as he slid back up over Yuri, his own cock hard and tense against Yuri’s thigh when he bent down to kiss him. “I’ll give you a minute to come down.” He whispered, nuzzling his nose against Yuri’s cheek.

            “You’re such a dick.” Yuri sighed, reaching one hand up to cup Otabek’s face and bring him down into another kiss while he ghosted his fingertips over the length of the other’s cock. He was so hard and he twitched at Yuri’s touch, groaning a little between kisses. “I love when you moan.” He whispered before swiping his tongue over Otabek’s lower lip, tightening his grip on the upstroke while he did it, so he could feel Otabek shiver against him. “I’m good to go I think. Can you use your fingers? Just don’t touch my fucking nipples and we’ll be okay.”

            “Aw, what like this?” Otabek said as he brought his hand up to pinch and twist at the sensitive part of Yuri’s chest.

            “Unh, fuck off.” Yuri whimpered, his face turning red again. “Bekaa.”

            “Sorry.” He laughed. “You make it too easy.” He reached for the lube and pressed a little apology kiss to Yuri’s cheek as he slicked up his fingers, moving over to lie next to him rather than on top.

            “Such an asshole.” Yuri spread his legs as wide as there was room for and sighed when Otabek’s hand dipped down between his thighs, pressing one digit gently inside. “I don’t need much, you can just go for it.”

            Otabek nodded in understanding and pushed a second finger inside, bringing his mouth back to Yuri’s neck as he stretched and curled his fingers inside of him.

            “Fuck, okay I don’t care if it hurts a little bit, just start.” Yuri said, rolling his hips against Otabek’s hand.

            “You sure?”

            “Yeah.” Yuri nodded as Otabek took his hand away, gesturing for him to get back on top of him.

            Otabek did what Yuri asked and draped himself back over him, catching his lips as he spread more lube around Yuri’s entrance. “You good?”

            Yuri nodded and bit his lip hard when he felt Otabek’s tip press up against him. “Do it, do it, fuck.” He sighed, wrapping his legs around Otabek’s hips as he pushed in. “ _Fuck_.”

            “Good?”

            “Great.” Yuri whined, wrapping his arms around Otabek’s neck. “Move.”

            Otabek rolled his hips to help loosen him up just a little more than started to rock back and forth, occupying his mouth on Yuri’s neck as he moved.

            “Yes.” Yuri whimpered, his head tipping back as Otabek snapped in and out. “Beka, yes, yes, _fuck_.” He felt Otabek’s hand slide between them and wrap around his cock, forcing his toes to curl and heat to rise to his face. “Oh my God, fuck, Beka.”

            “Fuck.” Otabek grunted, rolling his hips again and biting a little harder on Yuri’s neck.

            “Ah!” Yuri turned his head to the side to give him better access and pushed himself back against him, so they could move together. “Harder.”

            “You sure?”

            “Yeah, harder.” Yuri insisted, gasping when Otabek grabbed his wrist and pinned it above his head, pushing in deeper and faster than before. “Oh my God, fuck, make me cum Beka, please fucking make me cum. I’m yours, I’m your fucking slut, just make me cum.”

            Otabek moaned against Yuri’s neck and quickened his hand, breathing deep little ah’s against Yuri’s skin. “Are you close?”

            “Yes.” Yuri whimpered. “I’m so close Baby, keep going, keep going.” He scratched his nails down Otabek’s back and let a sob escape his lips as his orgasm swelled. He knew this was quicker than usual, but he didn’t care. Neither of them could last when they had sex like this. Otabek’s hips began to stutter and he bucked especially hard into Yuri, the angle hitting him just right and his hand tightening on his cock. That was all it took. “A-Ah!” Yuri stuttered out before his mouth fell open in a silent scream and he came hard against Otabek’s hand and stomach, his thighs trembling and his whole body warming. Only seconds after he released, he felt Otabek finish inside him with a long guttural moan that came out like Otabek couldn’t control it and they both fell limp against each other.

            “I fucking love you.” Otabek breathed, dragging his lips gently over all the hickies he’d left on Yuri’s neck and collar.

            “Wow.” Yuri laughed. “Fuck.”

            “We’re gross.”

            “We really are.” Yuri turned his head and nudged at Otabek’s nose until he lifted his head and Yuri could kiss him properly, wrapping his tongue around the other’s until their teeth clacked and they pulled away, laughing. “You should have worn a condom, now I need to shower.”

            “Sorry.” Otabek smiled, planting a little kiss on Yuri’s nose. “You want to go hop in the shower before we apologize for traumatizing Victor?”

            “Yeah.” Yuri nodded as he pulled away, climbing out of bed and gesturing for Otabek to follow him to the bathroom. He was pretty familiar with everything, having stayed with them for so long after Grandpa died, so he got the shower started and stepped in to test the water before Otabek followed. “Mm.” He sighed when Otabek stepped in behind him, shutting the curtain and putting his hands on his waist. “I feel a little creepy for doing that here, but it was really, really good.”

            “Yeah it was.” Otabek laughed, sliding one hand down to grab Yuri’s ass. “You’re insane sometimes. I love it.”

            “What do you want to do for dinner?”

            “Falafel?”

            “Oooh falafel, yes.” Yuri said, tipping his head back against Otabek’s shoulder. “We should have sex in our friend’s houses more often. That was pretty fucking hot.”

            “You know Chris would let us.”

            “Oh God, he would.” Yuri turned around in Otabek’s arms and tugged him down into a kiss, just wanting to taste him a little again.

            They didn’t take long in the shower, just spent some time under the water, sharing stupid jokes and a few kisses before drying off and getting their clothes back on.

            “You guys sound way kinkier than me and Yuuri.” Victor said, reading a book on the sofa when they stepped out of the guest room.

            “That’s because your Yuuri’s shy.” Otabek laughed before pressing a kiss to each of Yuri’s cheeks. “Mine’s kind of a whore.”

            “Hey.” Yuri snickered, nudging him in the side. “Don’t be mean.”

            “Did you get it out of your system?” Victor said as he shut his book, kicking his legs up on the coffee table while Yuri leaned away from Otabek’s kiss attempts.

            “A little bit.” Yuri smiled, finally standing still and letting Otabek kiss his forehead. “It’s just really hard with a kid in the house, you know? Mara’s up every two seconds.”

            “Ugh I’m worried we’re gonna stop having sex after the baby comes.” Victor sighed. “If your apartment is ever empty you better return this favor.”

            “Hey we don’t have a guest room.” Yuri said, digging the car keys out of his pocket. “You’re getting the couch.”

            “Fair enough.”

            “Is Yuuri doing okay after Rostelecom?”

            “Oh, uh yeah.” Victor grimaced. “He’s bummed out, but he’s focused on the baby right now, so that’s what really matters to him at the moment. We knew we were pushing it competing this season anyways.”

            “Aw.” Yuri stuck his lower lip out. “Well you guys should come out to dinner with us sometime soon. We can go some place Mara can come with.”

            “That sounds nice, I love that kid.” Victor smiled, reaching for the TV remote. “You guys go have fun. I’ll see you for practice in a few days?”

            “Yeah we’ll see you.” Yuri said, tugging Otabek towards the door. He was kind of starving after that intense quickie and actually a little bit anxious to get home to Mara after dinner. He’d started to miss her whenever they left her for a little while.

**

            They had a great time at dinner, snuggling in close in a booth at the back of the restaurant before heading home, fully expecting a rambunctious and excited Mara.

Yuuri had thought ahead for them and tuckered her out by the time they got home, so she was already asleep. Otabek looked like he could have cried when Yuuri said she was in bed. They both knew she’d probably be up again later, either boredom, or a nightmare, but they thanked Yuuri a thousand times and changed into their pajamas to watch a movie.

“Are you worried about the psych evals?” Otabek asked, twirling a piece of Yuri’s hair around his finger as they laid on the couch, half paying attention to a zombie movie they’d started halfway through.

            “No.” Yuri yawned. “I mean I’ve got my issues, but I don’t think there’s any kind of diagnosis to be made. You?”

            “I’m a little freaked out.” Otabek sighed, his other hand rubbing down Yuri’s back. “I mean I’ve been to therapy before and they’ve always said that my anxiety is severe. I think I’m fine now, but what if that comes up?”

            “Aw, Beka don’t worry about that. It doesn’t affect your parenting.” Yuri nuzzled his cheek against Otabek’s chest, feeling the soft fabric of the t-shirt against his skin. Otabek was so fucking cozy on nights like this. “It’ll be fine. No one’s a hundred percent clear of mental issues, you know? Everyone’s got stress.”

            “I guess.”

            “I’m kind of falling asleep on top of you here, do you want to go to bed?”

            “Yeah, but I’m also really comfy.” Otabek laughed, giving Yuri a squeeze and a kiss on top of his head. “You’re really soft right now.”

            “Mm, come on, let’s just go.” Yuri said, leaning up to press a little kiss to Otabek’s jaw before climbing off of him and shutting down the TV.

            It was barely ten, but they were both half asleep already as they headed to the bedroom. As if right on queue, Mara poked her head out the moment Yuri opened their bedroom door.

            “Can I sleep with you guys?” She asked, hugging her doll to her chest as she stepped out.

            They both hesitated, knowing that they should make her sleep in her own bed, but she was just so cute and the kid had been through enough. It never felt right to send her back to bed.

            “Sure.” Otabek finally said, walking over to scoop her up. “But you can’t do this so often anymore okay? Tomorrow you have to stay in your own bed.”

            “Okay.” She nodded, letting Otabek carry her into their room and set her down between him and Yuri.

            “Are you warm enough?” Yuri asked, pulling the covers over all three of them.

            “Uh huh.”

            “Okay.” He planted a kiss on her tiny forehead and leaned over to give Otabek a kiss goodnight too. “I know you’re stressed, so wake me up if you need anything okay?”

            “Okay.” Otabek smiled back at him. “Sleep tight, Yura.”

**

            “Beka, you have to take some deep breaths.” Yuri said as they sat in the office waiting room, rubbing his back to try and calm him. Otabek was practically having a panic attack over the psych evaluation and Yuri was shit at comforting him. He didn’t really know how to convince him that it would be okay. “Baby, please.” He sighed, grabbing one of Otabek’s trembling hands and squeezing. “It’s gonna be okay.”

            “I-I’m sorry, I’m just really freaked out that I’m gonna be the one who blows this whole thing because of this stupid fucking anxiety.” Otabek huffed and leaned back in his chair. “Fuck.”

            “Beka, you have to relax. Lots of people have anxiety problems and still raise kids. It’s not going to make you an unfit parent.”

            Otabek just shook his head.

            “Beka.” Yuri sighed, leaning over and pulling him into a hug. “Just come here and take some deep breaths. Calm down before you go in there.” Otabek was trembling as he squeezed him back and Yuri felt like the worst partner in the world for not being able to make him feel better. “Baby just tell me what I can do to make you feel better. I hate seeing you upset like this.”

            “Keep hugging me.” Otabek said in a quiet voice, holding Yuri a little tighter.

            Yuri did and pressed a few kisses into his hair, not caring if anyone saw them. “Hey when we’re done, we’ll grab Mara from day care and we’ll all go to the rink together okay? We can practice and spend some time with her. You’ll feel better.”

            Otabek nodded and pulled back, so he could lean back in to kiss him, only catching Yuri’s lips for a moment, but it made him blush. “Thanks for not making fun of me.”

            “Why would I make fun of you?” Yuri laughed, reaching up to fix Otabek’s hair a little bit. “Beka, I’ve never done that to you over your anxiety. Don’t worry about it.”

            “Otabek?” A man in a suit stepped out into the waiting room and waved. “You can come with me now.”

            “Deep breaths alright?” Yuri said, giving him one more quick hug before letting him go. Otabek looked paler than usual, but he would probably be fine once he got in there and realized it wasn’t such a big deal.

            A few minutes after Otabek was called in, another young man in a suit came for Yuri and lead him back to a small room with a desk and two chairs. It felt a little like an interrogation, so Yuri hoped the room Otabek was in was a little bit brighter.

            “So, what do we do here?” Yuri asked as the psychiatrist sat in front of him and placed a manila envelope on the table.

            “It’s nothing too crazy.” He shrugged. “I’m gonna ask you a few questions, you’re going to take a test and that’ll be that. Shouldn’t take long.”

            “Alright.” Yuri sighed, pulling his feet up onto the chair and sitting criss crossed, hands on his knees as the doctor took a notepad out.

            “So have you had any significantly traumatic experiences?”

            “Who hasn’t?”

            “Good point, but what are yours?” He laughed and Yuri was a little relieved that he had a sense of humor. “Just be honest. It’ll help if you don’t hide anything.”

            “Well uh, my mom left when I was pretty young. Didn’t know my dad, but I was little you know? So it’s not the biggest deal. I have some anxiety about people abandoning me and I wondered a lot if maybe I wasn’t lovable or something, but I’m fine now. I’ve been with Beka for years and I had my Grandpa to raise me.” Yuri shrugged again and picked at a tear in his jeans. He usually struggled talking about this stuff, but he wanted to be honest for the sake of their case and he was preoccupied thinking about how Otabek might be doing.

            “Is Grandpa still around?”

            “No, he died a few years ago, but it’s okay. We knew when it was coming, we prepared, I had friends help me through it. I hadn’t moved in with Beka yet then, so I stayed with my friend and I got through it pretty okay.”

            “Alright, good.” He nodded, making a few notes. “I’m gonna ask about the gay stuff, but don’t be paranoid. This has nothing to do with the laws here or anything, it’s just so your lawyer is prepared to address that argument.”

            “The gay stuff.” Yuri laughed. “Sure, okay.”

            “When did you come out?”

            “I’ve almost always been out. I mean, I’m a figure skater and my Grandpa noticed I was a little feminine, so he just assumed. I guess I officially told people when I was like fifteen? It’s no big deal for me.”

            “But for Otabek?”

            “Well he got disowned for it, so it’s kind of a bigger deal on that end, but he’s fine. He has anxiety, anyone would, but he hated his parents.”

            “Why?”

            “They abused him.” Yuri sighed, glancing up to count the little bumps in the ceiling. “Well, his dad did. He would beat him and his mom just wouldn’t do anything. He has nightmares about that stuff and he’ll flinch really hard if someone raises their hand, or yells at him, but that’s about it.”

            “Has it had any effect on your relationship?”

            “I mean if anything, it brought us closer because he had so much to open up about and we worked through it together.”

            “Any effect on his relationship with Mara?”

            “He’s crazy protective of her, but that’s about it. He’s worried about her getting bullied at preschool or kids roughhousing and hurting her.”

            “Okay and you’ve never been diagnosed with any kind of mental disorder?”

            “Nope.” Yuri shook his head.

            “Alright, take this questionnaire and you’re free to go.” He opened up the manila envelope, pulled a pen from his pocket and slid the papers over to him. “Any questions for me?”

            “Nah, I think I’m good. I mean this is more about Otabek, than me right?”

            “Yeah, but it helps to get positive results from you too. Just fill that out and turn it in to the front desk when you’re done okay?”

            “Sure, sounds good.” Yuri said as he took the papers and started to scan some of the questions. He really just wanted to go check on Otabek.

**

            Yuri finished up pretty fast and went back to the waiting room to find Otabek paler than ever and trembling. “Beka?” He frowned, putting his papers on the front desk and rushing over to put a hand on his shoulder. “Hey, what’s wrong? Was it that bad for you?”

            “I want to go home.” Otabek swallowed. “Right now, I-I want to be with Mara.”

            “Sure, come on.” Yuri said, grabbing his hand and pulling him up. “I’ll drive.” Otabek’s hand trembled in his grip as Yuri lead him down stairs and out of the building, waiting until they got inside the car to ask what happened.

            “He made me talk about the abuse.” Otabek swallowed, letting go of Yuri’s hand and crossing his arms over his chest. “I thought I was prepared for it, but there were so many fucking questions and he wouldn’t let me be vague at all and I just… I-I didn’t want to think about it so much and I fucking cried, Yura. They’ll think I’m a mess now.”

            “Beka, you were abused for years. It’d be weirder if you didn’t cry about it.” Yuri leaned over and pulled him back into a hug. “It’s all okay. You’re just worried because you love Mara and you don’t want anything bad to happen, but you gotta stay in reality alright? This psych eval is not gonna hurt you.” He rubbed Otabek’s back and pressed a few kisses into his hair, hugging tight. “Let’s go get Mara and and go skate a while. Tonight, we can take a bath or something after she goes to sleep and I’ll give you a massage, or something to help you relax okay?”

            Otabek hugged him a little tighter and kissed his neck. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

            “Aw.” He laughed. “That’s sweet.”

            “Do you really think they won’t care about my anxiety shit? I mean I-I don’t think it affects my parenting, but they could skew it so easily and-“

            “Shh, don’t think about it. It’s gonna be fine. We have a good lawyer, yeah?” Yuri let Otabek pull back and started the car. “Think about something else for now.”

**

            Skating with Mara seemed to cheer Otabek up almost instantly. He sped around the rink with her on his shoulders, or spun her around, making sure to always hold her hand and catch her if she fell. She’d started to skate a little bit on her own and she didn’t get so startled by falling anymore, although Otabek certainly did. Yuri let them do their own thing and started working on his short program routine again. He didn’t want to fuck it up again like he did at Rostelecom, so he needed to drill as much as possible.

            Yuri ran through his jumps and didn’t hold back, moving into his quads as if he was in competition and practicing until his legs were aching, but he was landing them more and more. When he fell, Otabek always stopped to check on him, which was cute, and Mara would give him a little hug or a kiss on the cheek, which was even cuter. He tried to stay focused though, letting them play and have fun while he worked. If he got distracted even a little bit, he’d fall.

            Yuri was gearing up for a quadruple lutz, a jump he was desperate to add into the program when at the last second before entry, Otabek waved from the corner of his eye.

            “Hey Yuri, look at this!” He beamed, but Yuri was just hitting take off and stumbled in the air from the distraction, his feet missing the ice completely so he landed right on his hip.   
            “Fuck! What the fuck, Beka?!” Yuri cried out when he crashed onto the ice, lying there a minute in pain before he could even push himself up.

            “Don’t curse like that in front of her, Jesus.” Otabek said as he skated over, his eyes wide with concern as he held Mara in his arms. “Are you hurt?”

            “I’ll fucking curse if I want to, Jesus Christ Beka.” He groaned. “You can’t distract me like that when I’m jumping that high.” Yuri had his eyes closed from the bruising pain in his hip, so he didn’t see it at first, but when he opened his eyes, his heart dropped to his stomach. Shit he hadn’t meant to yell that much. Otabek’s eyes were wide and glassy and he was biting his lower lip like he was trying not to cry. Mara didn’t look too good either, clinging hard to Otabek like she was scared. “Beka, I didn’t mean to snap like that, I just-“

            “I-I didn’t realize you were about to jump, I just wanted you to see Mara. She was skating on one foot all by herself.” His voice was wobbly as he spoke and he stared down at the ice. “I’ll take her home and let you practice. Text me when you need to be picked up.”

            “Beka.” Yuri sighed. “Come on, I didn’t mean to yell. I just got hurt and I was pissed and-“

            “And you bit my head off.” Otabek swallowed, rubbing his hand up and down Mara’s back to try and keep her from being upset too. “You know if you want to seriously practice, don’t tell me we’re coming to the rink, so I can relax. I know to leave you alone if you need focus, but we came here to have fun.”

            “Fuck.” Yuri sighed again, wincing at the pain in his hip as he pushed himself back onto his feet. “Beka, I’m sorry. It was an accident, you didn’t do anything. I-I’m just still rattled from messing up at Rostelecom.”

            “We can talk at home. I’m not fighting in front of Mara.” Otabek said before turning and skating back to the edge of the rink with her to step off the ice.

            Shit. Yuri was pretty well equipped to handle Otabek being mad at him, but hurting his feelings made him feel awful. What was wrong with him? They just got him cheered up and happy then he had to go and fucking wreck it.

            Yuri followed them off the ice and they changed shoes in silence, even Mara keeping quiet until they got to the car and she started to fuss. Yuri offered to drive and let Otabek sit in the back with her, but they stayed quiet the whole ride home. He put the radio on to Otabek’s favorite station, trying to drown out the silence, but his stomach felt sick. Otabek was going to have nightmares for sure after the anxiety attack earlier and if he stayed upset, how was Yuri going to comfort him when he needed it?

            “Come on Sweetie.” Otabek cooed when he took Mara out of the car, carrying her with one arm and their bag with the other as they headed upstairs.

            “Do you want me to make dinner?” Yuri asked as he unlocked the door, but Otabek just shook his head and passed him to walk inside.

            He set Mara down on the sofa, turned Disney channel on and planted a kiss on top of her head before walking off and shutting himself inside the bedroom. Yuri wanted to kick himself. He’d gotten a handle on his temper ages ago, especially being with someone like Otabek who was so sensitive to yelling and aggression, so he hated himself when he lost control and it came out.

Earlier in their relationship, before Yuri had settled down a bit, he’d snapped once and cursed Otabek out after he forgot to pick him up from practice one day. Yuri hadn’t meant to make him feel so bad, but Otabek had cried his eyes out and couldn’t stop shaking for an hour even with Yuri comforting him. He’d fucking promised that he would never yell at him like that again, so whenever he snapped, even a little bit, he felt horrible.

            Yuri took a deep breath and crept up to the bedroom door, pressing his ear up to it to try and hear him. He could hear a muffled drum beat. Otabek was probably working on new mixes, or something to calm down and that made him feel a lot better until he heard a quiet sob from the other end of the door. His heart broke at that, but he pulled away from the door. If Otabek needed to cry, then Yuri wasn’t going to embarrass him by barging in or eavesdropping. Instead, he swallowed the lump in his throat and went to sit on the couch with Mara.

            “What do you want to watch?” He asked, but she took one look at him and moved away, scootching towards the other end of the couch.

            “What?” Yuri blinked. “You okay?”

            “Are you mad at me?” She peeped, her tiny hands tugging on the hem of her dress.

            “Of course not.” He frowned. “Mara, no one’s mad.”

            “You yelled at Beka.”

            “Yeah.” Yuri sighed. “Did I scare you?”

            She gave a little nod and Yuri reached over to pull her into his lap, hugging tight and kissing her tiny head.

            “I’m sorry.” He said, rubbing her back as he spoke. “I just got kind of startled by falling, yeah? It can be scary when that happens.”

            She nodded again like she understood.

            “So I was kind of shaken up and I yelled, but it doesn’t mean you guys did anything wrong at all, okay? I was wrong and I’m sorry I scared you.” He gave her one squeeze and pulled back to look at her. “Can you forgive me?”

            “Yeah.”

            “And you know that I love you?”

            She giggled a little at that and nodded again.

            “Okay then. You hungry?”

            “Can I have mac and cheese?”

            “You got it.” Yuri gave her one last kiss on the cheek then got up to make her food. He’d give Otabek a little time and see if he’d come out on his own, but if he was still in there after an hour, he’d go knock.

            He made mac and cheese for Mara then whipped up some chocolate chip cookies. Baking wasn’t his biggest talent, but they were Otabek’s comfort food and they had pre-made dough in the fridge. When Mara was done eating, he put a few on a plate and went to knock on the bedroom door. “Beka? I know you’re mad, but I made cookies if you want to talk.”

            Otabek opened the door, but kept his eyes on the floor. He’d changed into sweatpants and a tank top and his eyes looked sore from crying and rubbing them.

            “Can I come in and talk to you?” Yuri asked, his heart heavy at the sight of the sad look on Otabek’s face. God, it was just so easy to upset Otabek, for a moment he was almost frustrated that Otabek had been crying over something so miniscule, but he knew Otabek couldn’t help it. He’d been abused for years. Getting yelled at, especially by someone he trusted, brought back that trauma and Yuri knew that. “I don’t have to come in

            “Yeah.” He mumbled, cocking his head towards the bed. “Leave the door open, so we can hear Mara.”

            Yuri followed him to the bed and sat in front of him, putting the cookies between them as he sat with his legs folded, Otabek doing the same. “I’m really sorry.” He said, reaching forward to put his hands on Otabek’s knees. “I’ve told you a thousand times about how I get when you yell and I know you’re the same way, even worse, and I know I’ve promised not to do that to you. I just didn’t think.”

            “It’s fine.” Otabek sighed. “I’m overreacting.”

            “You’re not. It was shitty and you’ve talked to me a lot before about why you can’t be yelled at.” Yuri reached over and tilted Otabek’s face up. “Seriously, are you okay?”

            “Yeah.” He nodded. “I’m sorry, I just needed to rest kind of. Today’s been really shitty.”

            “I know.” Yuri grimaced. “I’m sorry I snapped.” He moved the cookies out of the way and scootched closer to him, holding Otabek’s face with both hands and leaning in to give him a short kiss. Otabek hesitated a moment, but kissed him back, bringing one hand over to Yuri’s knee just to touch him. “You sure you’re okay?”

            Otabek gave a weak smile and nodded again, giving Yuri’s knee a squeeze. “It’s cute how worried you get. Is Mara okay?”

            “She’s fine. She’s full of mac and cheese.”

            “Okay.” He laughed. “I’m um… I’m not mad. Thanks for coming to check on me and apologizing and everything.” He took the plate of cookies and snickered when he took the first bite. “Yura, these are so burnt.”

            “Shit, really?” Yuri laughed too. “I’m sorry.”

            “It’s fine. It’s cute that you made them.” He put the cookies aside and pulled Yuri into one more kiss. “You know it’s been a pretty long time since I’ve seen Angry Yuri.”

            “We’re not exactly fans of Angry Yuri.”

            “No, but I did fall in love with him.” Otabek shrugged, pressing a kiss to his cheek before pulling away and getting out of bed. “You want to help me with dinner?”

            “Yeah.” Yuri grinned, following him out of the bedroom. “Can you teach me some stuff? I’m afraid you’re gonna be out of town for competition and I’ll have to fend for myself.”

            “Sure.” Otabek smiled as they walked out to the den, going to give Mara a quick kiss before taking Yuri into the kitchen. “We can have sex when Mara goes to bed if you want. She’s always tuckered out after skating.”

            “You feel up to it?”

            “Yeah, you’re cute when you’re apologetic and stuff.” Otabek turned around and pressed his lips against Yuri’s one more time, lingering for longer than usual. “Are you really hurt from earlier?”

            “Kinda.” Yuri shrugged, stepping back and unzipping his jeans so he could pull them down on one side to show Otabek the deep bruise that had formed.

            “Oh shit.” Otabek winced. “Yikes, okay I would have yelled at me too. Let’s ice that tonight.”

            Yuri pulled the waist of his jeans back up, zipped, and stepped forward into a hug just because Otabek was close and he wanted it. “I still feel bad.”

            “Babe I’ve snapped on you plenty of times in the past month.” Otabek said, hugging him back and kissing his forehead. “Would it make you feel better if we started some wedding planning after dinner?”

            “Really?”

            “Yeah.” Otabek shrugged. “I mean it’ll be some boring stuff, but we might as well. If there’s no reason for us to wait because of the adoption, let’s just go for it.” He took a pot from the cabinet and set it in the sink to start filling it up.

            “Um, I don’t want to sound dumb. I know we can’t spend a ton of money, but do you think we could still have a honey moon?” Yuri blushed, feeling a little silly for even asking although he didn’t know why. He really wanted to have a honey moon, but Otabek might think it was a waste of money they should be spending on Mara. He wouldn’t argue if that was the case, but it couldn’t hurt to ask.

            “Of course.” Otabek laughed, shutting the water off and putting the pot on the stove before he turned around to kiss Yuri’s forehead. “It can’t be super long, but we’ll figure out a way to have one. Mara can stay with Victor and Yuuri if they’re not overwhelmed by the baby at that point.” He nuzzled his nose against Yuri’s nose just to be cute and Yuri’s face turned redder. “Listen, we might have to be careful about money, but we can ask people to help with wedding costs instead of presents. We’ll start saving now.”

            “Okay.” Yuri grinned. “I’m actually really excited.”

            “Good. I want you to get everything you want out of the wedding.” Otabek smacked one more kiss to Yuri’s cheek then pulled away to get the pasta going. “Go get me the cutting board.”

**

            Mara went to bed without a fuss and they spent a little time talking about the wedding. They researched a few locations in Japan to choose from and decided on a botanical theme with lots of flowers. Otabek was going to have full reign of the music at the reception, which Yuri thought would be awesome as long as he wouldn’t get too distracted by DJ’ing to dance with him.

            Yuri still felt pretty guilty for hurting Otabek’s feelings though, so as soon as they were starting to get tired, he pulled him into the bedroom and put on the lingerie from last Valentines Day just to try and make up for it. He did all of the little things that Otabek loved, giving him all of his attention, whispering dirty talk into his ear and holding a hand over his mouth when he came just to keep him quiet.

They both changed into pajamas to keep warm and in case Mara needed them and Yuri took the position of the big spoon, hoping that Otabek felt comforted enough not to have any nightmares.

“I’m sorry again for earlier. Sleep tight, okay? Wake me up if you need anything at all.” Yuri whispered, pressing a few kisses to Otabek’s neck and shoulder.

            “It’s okay, Yura.” Otabek said back, putting his hand over Yuri’s. “Goodnight.”

            “I love you.”

            “I know Baby.” He laughed. “You don’t have to try so hard to make up for snapping at me once. I love you too.”

            “Okay.” Yuri smiled, pressing a little closer and hooking one leg over Otabek’s. “Goodnight.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm in the middle of college apps and other senior stuff, basically a generally busy and hectic time, so it's unlikely I'll be updating 3 times a week like I usually do. There will be at least 1 chapter a week and I will aim to put up 2. Feel free to ask me where I'm at if you're anxious for updates and I'll do my best to be honest and to update frequently, but please be patient and hopefully I'll be back up to speed soon.


	11. Chapter Eleven - Trying

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Guess whos adopted?? It's Mara, fools!

            Mara getting accepted to preschool was ten times more exciting than any gold medal Yuri had ever won. Not only did she get in, but the school wanted to cover her supplies and her uniform expenses because the principal thought she was so smart and had so much potential. They got through the scheduled home visit too and it had gone great. Mara was happy and adorable and the social worker, a nice young woman who treated them with more respect than they expected, seemed to think everything was fine.

            Yuri was practicing like crazy to try and up his game for the next Grand Prix event, one he’d luckily been assigned to with Otabek again. The custody case was slow moving and with Mara in school, they had more time. Whenever they went too many days without some quality time with just the two of them, they called off practice early and went home, or on a date to keep their relationship as intimate as it had been before the kid.

            They had a few meetings with the lawyer, but the sit down was still far away and Otabek’s adoption was becoming official, so if things went south for them at the hearing, there would be more legal barriers for his aunt to get through.

            “You look great, Beka.” Yuri smiled as he fixed Otabek’s tie. “Super responsible.”

            “You sure?”

            “Yes.” Yuri laughed. “You know the judge isn’t going to take Mara away just because your hair’s messed up right? Come on, I made Mara all pretty for the hearing.”

            “Alright.” Otabek managed a smile and stuck his wallet in his pocket before letting Yuri lead him out to the living room where Mara was waiting. “Aw, look at you.” He beamed, rushing over to scoop her up and kiss her chubby cheeks. “Is that the dress Yuri bought you?”

            “Yeah.” She giggled. “He did my hair too.”

            “I see that. You like it?”

            Mara nodded and Otabek’s smile suddenly seemed a lot less nervous.

            Yuri tugged a little on the sleeves of his dress shirt, making sure he didn’t look too wrinkled or anything, then walked up to Otabek for a kiss. “I’ll be right behind you guys. Don’t be nervous.”

            “Yeah.” Otabek nodded, taking a deep breath. “Let’s do this.”

            Yuri drove, so Otabek could sit with her in the back and keep her from getting fussy. She’d been a lot better about the car lately. They could let her sit by herself now, but they didn’t want her to be upset, or antsy in front of the judge.

            The courthouse was a little daunting, but they walked in together and Yuri took a seat in the bench right behind them while they waited to be called, watching the other families go up one by one. Yuri couldn’t help but notice that they were the youngest people in the room.

            “Altin?” The judge called and Otabek rose up with Mara, walking from the bench to stand in front of him. “I have a few questions before we proceed.”

            Huh? Yuri’s stomach flipped. There weren’t supposed to be questions. There was supposed to be confirmation.

            “Oh. O-Of course.” Otabek nodded, holding Mara close and rubbing her back to keep her calm in the unfamiliar setting.

            “This adoption was expedited, correct?”

            “Yes Sir.”

            “Are you adequately prepared to care for a child with the limited window you’ve had to prepare?”

            “Yes.” Otabek said without hesitation. “She’s just started school, she has a daycare center, we already got her involved in sports. She’s forming a relationship with her God parents. I know she hasn’t been with me long, but I promise we’ve done everything we can to help her form some roots here and in our home.”

            “When did she start school?”

            “Just last week.”

            “And you’re positive that you have the financial capabilities to care for a child?”

            “Yes.” Otabek said again and Yuri was surprised at how calm he was.

            “Alright then.” The judge nodded, taking a pair of glasses from his graying head and putting them on. “Do you wish to formally adopt this child and assume legal responsibility as this child’s parent?”

            Otabek beamed and nodded his head, squeezing Mara a little tighter. “I do.”

            “And what name will the child carry?”

            “Mara Yulia Altin.”

            “Okay then. The paperwork will be filed as soon as this hearing is over. Next up, the Kolyada family?”

            Otabek turned around and grinned at Yuri like he could burst, cocking his head towards the exit, so he would get up and come follow him.

            Yuri jumped up and went with them out of the courtroom, waiting until the door shut to hug them both. “I’m so happy.”

            “Tell me about it.” Otabek laughed, hugging him back with his free arm and smacking a kiss to the top of Mara’s head. “I love you.”

            “Aw, I love you too Beka.” Yuri glanced around to make sure no one was looking, then planted a kiss on his cheek. “Let’s go home and relax. We have all day tomorrow to work on wedding planning and stuff, so let’s just spend some time with Mara.

            “Can we watch Moana?” She peeped and they both laughed. They were sick to death of that movie, but if it would make her happy, then why not?

            “Sure.” Otabek said, kissing each of her cheeks before they headed off towards the car. “Whatever you want, Kiddo.”

**

            “Come on Beka, you know how the wedding planning makes me.” Yuri pouted the next day, resting his head on Otabek’s lap with his feet kicked up on the armrest of the couch. “Please? We can be fast.” He’d expected some wild emotional sex after yesterday, but Mara had tired them out before it was even eight o’clock last night.

            “Babe we gotta pick up Mara in thirty minutes.”

            “That’s literally so much time.” Yuri rolled his eyes and took one of Otabek’s hands, sliding closer to him, so it was easier to guide it between his legs and press down. “Come on Bekaaa.” He whined, looking up at him and sticking out his lip. “I’m gonna start without you if you don’t say yes.”

            “Hey, you’re free to jack off while I go and pick up our child.” Otabek shrugged and Yuri rolled his eyes. “I’m kidding. But seriously, if I go to bed with you right now, I’m gonna want to take longer than thirty minutes.” He squeezed Yuri through his jeans just to tease him, then took his hand away, smacking a kiss to his forehead before standing up and knocking Yuri’s head out of his lap.

            “That’s such a lame excuse.” Yuri pouted, standing up and wrapping his arms around Otabek’s waist from behind, pressing a few kisses up his neck. “I’ll blow you first.”

            “Yuri.”

            “I’ll literally top you if it’ll get you to have sex right now.”

            “Babe, not right now. Seriously.” Otabek sighed, pulling out of his touch and walking around the living room to pick up Mara’s toys.

            “Oh.” Yuri blushed. “Sorry, I thought you were just teasing and stuff. Is something up?”

            “Sorry, not really. I’m just…” Otabek shrugged and set the toys down on the coffee table. “I’m kind of anxious today? I’m worried about the surprise home visit I guess. I mean it could literally happen while we’re having sex, or Mara’s crying, or something and I like just adopted her. I’m freaked that this is gonna get ripped away now that it’s official and they expedited the adoption, so we’ve hardly been vetted as much as people usually are. If we blow a single one of these visits, we’re-”

            “Beka, don’t worry about that. It’ll probably be in the evening, they know Mara’s in school.” Yuri stepped around him and put his hands on Otabek’s shoulder. “If you’re going to withhold sex until that visit happens, I’m going to explode. I’m just letting you know that.”

            “Oh my God.” Otabek laughed. “I guess it’s a little silly.”

            “So does that mean…?”

            “Actually, um.” Otabek blushed and shrugged his shoulders. “Maybe it would be kind of nice for you to top me tonight? I need to relax, or just get my mind off of this.”

            “Oh?” Yuri raised his eyebrows. “You haven’t let me do that for like six months.”

            “It’s a special occasion.”

            “How?”

            “I don’t know, I mean the adoption did just go through and even if you’re not a legal parent, we’re kind of officially parents now? Plus, we’re finally getting the wedding planning going. It’s exciting.” Otabek shrugged again and leaned in to plant a kiss on Yuri’s cheek. “Wait until tonight though, okay? Only if Mara goes to bed without a fuss.”

            “Deal.” Yuri reached up to run his hands through Otabek’s hair a moment and grinned. “You look so cute.”

            “You’re a weirdo sometimes.”

            “You do though. You just shaved and your hair’s all messy.” Yuri stepped forward and tugged him into a quick hug. “You’re like a teddy bear.”

            “Yura.” Otabek smiled, hugging him back. “You’re clingy today.”

            “I just don’t want you to be anxious. We have a lot to be happy about right now.”

            “You’re right.” Otabek sighed as he held Yuri close. “Let’s take Mara out for ice cream after school. I want to spend some time with both of you before all this court shit gets started and we have to go out of town for our next competition.”

            “Sounds awesome.” Yuri gave him a big squeeze and one more kiss before pulling away to help him clean up. “I’ll handle the chores today.”

**

            Yuri could tell Otabek really was anxious. He was smiling and everything, but even when they were getting ice cream with Mara, he kept drumming his fingers and bouncing his leg, zoning out. He needed to get his mind off of everything.

            Yuri got Mara to bed early by reading her a few more stories than usual and waited until she was fast asleep to drag Otabek to bed.

            “You gotta relax, Beka.” He mumbled between kisses, lying over him with the comforter kicked down to the foot of the bed. Their clothes were piled on the floor, barring their underwear and Yuri was relishing in how smooth Otabek’s skin was against his own as he kissed him. “You’re tense.”

            “Sorry.” Otabek breathed, his hand coming to cup Yuri’s cheek when he leaned in for one more kiss. “Your mouth is crazy sweet right now, what’d you do?”

            “I chewed that gum you like. It uh… It makes you use your tongue more.”

            “Oh my God.” Otabek laughed, nuzzling his nose against Yuri’s. “You’re so funny sometimes. You can just tell me to kiss you harder you know?”

‘           “I know, but still.” Yuri turned his head and pressed a few kisses down Otabek’s neck. “Can I get you naked now?”

            “Yeah, get the lube though.”

            “Do you want me to wear a condom?”

            “We almost never use them.” Otabek frowned. “You don’t have to.”

            “Okay, I’m just worried about hurting you.”

            “You’re not gonna hurt me.”

            “I’m not that small.” Yuri rolled his eyes and climbed off the bed, dropping his underwear and taking the lube from the nightstand. “Get your underwear off, I’m gonna make fun of you when it hurts now.”

            “Whatever you say.” Otabek teased, sliding out of his briefs and holding his arms out for Yuri to crawl back over him. “Mm, you’re warm.” He sighed, sliding one hand between them to wrap around Yuri, stroking with a tight grip until he shivered and pushed his hips forward.

            “Stop, I’m supposed to be doing you.” Yuri breathed before taking the lube and quickly slicking his fingers up.

            “But I like touching you.”

            Yuri pulled away and moved to the side, slipping his hand between Otabek’s open thighs. “You think too much about me. I just want to make you feel good right now.” He circled the tip of his finger around his entrance and pressed carefully inside, feeling Otabek’s muscles tense around him. “Told you.”

            “It doesn’t hurt that much.”

            “You don’t have to be so tough all the time.” Yuri moved it carefully back and forth and leaned in to kiss him again, catching Otabek’s lower lip in his mouth and sucking for a moment. “Better?” He whispered, sliding the finger in and out a little faster.

            “Yeah.” Otabek breathed. “You can do more.”

            “Okay.” Yuri gave him a kiss on the cheek and spent a long time just getting him nice and stretched out, wanting him to be able to relax completely before he slicked himself up and laid back on top of him.

            “You look really beautiful when you’re on top of me.” Otabek murmured, his hands coming up to tuck Yuri’s hair behind his ears. “I like how your hair hangs down.”

            “Yeah?” Yuri blushed a bit and reached down to press himself against Otabek’s entrance. “Can I?”

            “Yeah, I’m good. Keep kissing me.”

            Yuri’s heart warmed at that and he pressed their lips together again as he slowly pushed inside, shivering once he was all the way in. He hardly ever went on top. He liked being underneath Otabek and liked just being fucked by him. It was something so close and intimate, but he had no complaints about going on top. Otabek rarely bottomed, but when he did, he got so much softer. He’d moan in a higher voice and he’d hold on to Yuri tight.

            “Yura.” Otabek sighed as Yuri began to pump back and forth. He wasn’t big enough to fill him up too much, but he could definitely get the job done.

            “Good?”

            “Great.” He hitched his thigh up on Yuri’s hip and kept his arms around his shoulders, kissing him with an open mouth and pushing back against his thrusts.

            Yuri kissed him hard and swallowed the noises Otabek let out, hushing him every so often to make sure Mara wouldn’t hear. Otabek was unbelievably tight from how rare they did this, so keeping quiet himself wasn’t easy.

            “I love you so much.” Otabek whispered, his breathing heavy as he spoke. “Yuri, tell me you’re not going anywhere.”

            “Huh? Beka, I’d never leave.” Yuri frowned, slowing his hips. “We’re getting married.”

            “I know, but I just need to hear you say it. Tell me please.” Otabek whined, gasping when Yuri reached between them to wrap a hand around his erection.

            “I’m not going anywhere.” Yuri whispered, guiding himself in and out in time with his hand. “I love you so much and I’m gonna marry you and I’m gonna be right there next to you forever, yeah?”

            “Promise?”

            “I promise, Beka.”

            Almost out of nowhere, Otabek’s thighs tensed against Yuri’s hips and he shivered hard, cumming into the palm of Yuri’s hand and biting hard on his lower lip to keep quiet as the orgasm shook him. “Sorry.” He whimpered, still experiencing the orgasm as he spoke. “Sorry, sorry, fuck, I just-“

            “Oh.” Yuri blinked. “That’s uh… pretty rare for you.” He wiped his hand on the bed sheets and reached down to pull out before he glanced up and noticed Otabek’s eyes were wet. “Hey.” He frowned. “What’s wrong?”

            “I’m sorry, fuck.” Otabek croaked, hiding his face in his hands.

            “Beka…” Yuri laid down next to him and pulled him into his arms, taking Otabek’s hands away from his face and kissing both of his cheeks. “Talk to me, what’s wrong? Did I do something?”

            “No, fuck, you’re perfect. I-I’m just a mess and I’m fucking scared.” Otabek sniffed, hiding his face in Yuri’s neck. “I’m scared about everything. I-I’m scared about this fucking custody case. I’m so afraid to lose her and I’m afraid we’re gonna blow this home visit, or it’s gonna happen while we’re out of town for the competition and they’ll judge us for leaving her with a nanny. I-I’m afraid of you getting tired of all of this work and-“

            “Beka, stop.” Yuri interrupted, pressing his forehead against Otabek’s and trying to ignore the painful state his balls were in. The last thing he wanted was to make Otabek feel obligated to finish sex when he was crying, but seriously. Ouch. He took a deep breath and nuzzled their noses together to comfort him. “You’re just anxious and I know why you are, but you can’t spiral out like this okay? I love you. I would never, ever leave you and Mara. Not in a thousand years and we’re gonna fight tooth and nail to keep her with us too.”

            “I know, I just… I feel like everything is gonna go wrong.”

            “I know you do.” Yuri sighed, pressing a kiss to Otabek’s forehead. “But when you feel like that, you just have to talk to me, or hug me, or read a story to Mara, whatever you need to do to feel okay.”

            “I didn’t mean to ruin sex, ugh.” Otabek grimaced. “Can I finish you?”

            “Pay me back later.” Yuri laughed. “I think we should maybe go to bed early.”

            “Wait, no I want to.” He said, rolling onto his side and kissing a line down Yuri’s neck. “Seriously.”

            “Beka, you’re upset. I don’t want you to-“

            Otabek cut him off with a kiss and wrapped his hand back around Yuri, stroking fast with a tight grip, only pausing to thumb his tip, or dip down and caress his balls.

            Yuri opened his mouth for him and gave in. If Otabek really wanted to finish him, he wasn’t going to complain. Plus, Otabek’s tongue was addicting as ever and he wanted to taste it before they had another long week without sex. “Beka.” He breathed when the kiss broke, turning his head, so Otabek would kiss his neck.

            Otabek complied and nibbled on the skin just light enough not to leave a mark, but still make Yuri groan. “What do you want?”

            “Mouth.” Yuri sighed, his face warm as Otabek slid down the bed and laid between his legs. “Fuck.” He shivered when Otabek took him in his mouth, hooking one thigh up over his shoulder.

            It didn’t take him long to cum. He was already wound up and Otabek was such an expert with his tongue that it just took a few minutes before he was biting his fist and Otabek was swallowing for him.

            “Good?” Otabek smiled, sliding back up to kiss him one more time.

            “Great.” Yuri smiled back. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

            “I’m probably gonna be nervous for a while, so try not to get too freaked out by it.” Otabek said as he nuzzled their noses together. “I’ll get your pajamas for you.”

            “Thank you.” Yuri took his arms away, so Otabek could get up and watched as he got himself cleaned up and dressed. He felt like he really took Otabek’s body for granted. Sometimes he forgot how amazing he looked.

            When Otabek brought him his pajamas, he changed and tugged him into bed, wrapping his arms and legs around him just to be clingy. “Can I sleep like this?”

            “Hold on.” Otabek laughed, pulling up the blankets and wrapping his arms around Yuri too. “Comfy?”

            “Mhm.” Yuri yawned, relishing in Otabek’s warmth. He loved falling asleep all tangled up with him. “Wake me up if you need me, okay?”

            “Okay Baby.” Otabek said as he tightened his arms around Yuri just the tiniest bit. “Sleep tight.”

**

            Yuri tried to give Otabek his space over the next few days. He could tell how anxious he was, but sometimes the best thing was to just keep him busy, not smother him, or check up on him too much. He didn’t want Otabek to feel weak, or anything like that, so he just acted normal. They took Mara to school, went to practice, picked her up, and went home to make dinner. When she was asleep, they worked on the wedding planning until it was time to go to bed.

            Otabek’s nightmares were getting a little worse. Mara had stopped coming to sleep with them so often, but he was having terrors almost every night and they were getting more intense.

            Sunday night, Otabek barely slept. They still hadn’t had the surprise home visit and he was completely freaking himself out, waking up almost every hour with nightmares that had him sweating and shaking. After the third one, Yuri decided to just stay up with him. He got all the lights on, made him hot chocolate, and put on a funny movie, but Otabek still just couldn’t stop trembling until he passed out at five in the morning.

            Yuri got out of bed and took Mara to school on his own, getting her hair done and her lunch made while Otabek slept.

            “Bye Kiddo.” He smiled when he hugged her goodbye in front of the school, pressing a few kisses into her hair before forcing himself to let go. “Otabek will be here when we pick you up, okay? We just need to let him sleep a little this morning.”

            “Okay.” She nodded. “Can I go now?”

            “Yeah.” Yuri laughed, giving her one more kiss on the cheek before heading back to the car to watch her go. She got inside just fine, rushing to get to class actually. He hadn’t heard her mention any friends yet, so he was relieved that she was excited to go.

            He drove back home once she was out of sight and was careful to enter the apartment as quietly as he could in case Otabek was still asleep.

            “Yuri?” Otabek asked, stepping into the living room with his hair sticking out in every direction.

            “Hey, did you just get up?”

            “Yeah, did you take Mara to school?”

            “I thought I should let you sleep.” Yuri shrugged.

            “Yura, I’ve never missed dropping her off.”

            “Beka, it’s fine. It’s just a day and you needed to sleep.” He walked up to him and planted a kiss on the corner of his mouth. “Are you feeling better?”

            “Yeah.” Otabek sighed. “I wish you woke me up to take her though.”

            “It’s fine, Beka. Really. You feel up for practice?”

            Otabek nodded and ran a hand through his hair. “I’m gonna take a shower, then let’s go.”

            “Could I uhh… get in with you?” Yuri was hoping that would be enough to ease the tension.

            “Hm?” Otabek blinked. “Oh. Yeah sure.”

            He breathed a little sigh of relief and followed Otabek to the bathroom, kicking his shoes off in the hall. After a shower, Otabek would probably be more relaxed anyways.

**

            Shower sex seemed to bring things back to normal, Otabek being gentle and loving, taking his time. Yuri did his best just to relax him and things seemed pretty okay in the car afterwards. Otabek was still sleepy, resting his head on Yuri’s shoulder while he drove and giving him a lazy kiss when they arrived.

            “You feeling better?” Yuri asked when Otabek pulled away, bringing his hand up to fix Otabek’s hair a little bit. “You’re really cute when you’re sleepy.”

            “Mm, I feel okay right now.” Otabek yawned. “Let’s go warm up.”

            Yuri grabbed their stuff and together, they walked inside to get their shoes changed. Victor and Yuuri were already out on the ice as they laced up their skates.

            “I’m gonna go ahead and start. Call out if you need something okay?” Otabek said, smacking a kiss to Yuri’s cheek before heading to the ice just as Victor stepped off.

            “Hey Yuri.” Victor beamed. “How’s everything going?”

            “It’s pretty good.” Yuri said as he finished tying his skates. “Otabek’s just crazy stressed and I don’t really know how to help him, you know? We still have that surprise home visit coming up.”

            “Well it’ll probably be this week and then it’ll be done with.”

            “I hope so. As long as that mediation goes okay, we’ll be in the clear.” Yuri stood up and glanced towards the ice just in time to see Otabek take a hard fall, his toe pick catching on the ice just as he came out of a quadruple lutz, so he fell forward onto both knees. “Shit, that looked bad. I’ll talk to you later okay?”

            Victor nodded in understanding and got out of Yuri’s way, so he could rush to the ice where Otabek was pushing himself up.

            “Hey, you okay?” Yuri asked, stopping right before him and kneeling down.

            “I’m fine.” Otabek huffed as he got off his knees and onto his feet.

            “Are you sure? That looked bad.”

            “Yeah, I know it looked bad Yuri.” Otabek frowned, dusting the ice off of his leggings. “Just focus on your own stuff.”

            “Okay.” Yuri didn’t want to push him, so he just got up and went to the opposite side of the rink to work on his own program. He tried not to take it personally. Otabek was feeling vulnerable and falling was going to make him feel weak. He didn’t want to exacerbate that feeling by checking up on him too much.

            “He really is stressed.” Yuuri said when they were on water break, Victor and Otabek still on the ice. “I mean we’ve all kind of seen him this way before, but he seems super anxious today.”

            “He was up all night.” Yuri sighed. “I thought he calmed down, but it’s not like him to be this determined during practice. He’s gonna hurt himself.”

            “Victor gets the same way. When he’s worried, he practices like crazy.”

            “We’ve been so tense lately. I mean, I don’t wanna blame Mara, but we used to never, ever fight.” Yuri’s heart sank a little as he watched Otabek continue to push himself on the ice, tripping on a complicated step and forcing himself up immediately. “Now one of us keeps snapping on the other and we always make up fast, but I hate that he’s so anxious. It makes him lash out a little.”

            “It’ll calm down soon. If you guys are struggling, just give us Mara for a few hours and you can relax.”

            “It’s fine. I mean, it’s not her.” Yuri shrugged. “It’s just this custody shit.”

            “I’m sorry. Let me know if we can do anything to help, okay?”

            “Thanks.” Yuri managed a small smile and let Yuuri head back to the ice, taking a few extra moments to watch Otabek. Hopefully, things would be less tense later.

**

            Otabek’s mood only seemed to get worse. Yuri drove them both to pick up Mara, but even after she got in the car, Otabek stayed tense and quiet. He’d gotten pretty banged up at practice.

            “Are you tired enough for a nap?” Yuri asked when he carried Mara inside, Otabek kicking his shoes off behind him.

            “Mhm.” Mara nodded, nuzzling her cheek against his shoulder. “Can you tuck me in?”

            “Yeah Kiddo, let’s go.” Yuri cooed as he carried her back to her bedroom, kissing her little head just because she was too cute to resist. “Do you want your pajamas?”

            She shook her head, so he just pulled back the comforter and laid her down.

            “Just call out if you need us, okay?” Yuri said as he tucked her in, pressing one more kiss to her forehead. “I’ll come wake you up in half an hour.”

            “Okay.” She mumbled as she shut her eyes. It was adorable seeing her all tuckered out. It was actually pretty good that she came home tired. It meant she was getting enough exercise at school and it was healthy for her to sleep. The bruises had finally healed, but they were always paranoid about her health.

            Yuri shut the light off on his way out, but left the door open, so they could hear her. “She’s down.” He said as he walked back out to the living room, Otabek sitting on the couch with his feet kicked up. Yuri was just taking his shoes off when he glanced at one of Otabek’s ankles. “Beka, is that okay?” He frowned, walking up to see it closer. It didn’t look crazy bad, but it was definitely swollen and a little purple. “What happened?”

            “It’s fine, I just fell.” Otabek shrugged.

            “Let me get some ice.”

            “No, really, it’s fine.” Otabek said as he took his feet down. “Can you just sit and watch TV with me for a little?”

            “Oh.” Yuri smiled, eager to hear that kind tone back in his fiance’s voice. “Yeah sure.” He sat down next to him and tucked himself right under his arm to snuggle in. “I thought you were mad at me.”

            “I’m not mad, I’m just really stressed.” Otabek sighed, leaning his head on top of Yuri’s. “I’m sorry.”

            “It’s okay, I just get worried about you. You’re gonna get hurt if you practice like that without a harness or anything at all.”

            “It’s fine. Don’t worry so much about me.” Otabek pressed a kiss to the top of Yuri’s head and he snuggled in closer, pressing into Otabek’s firm chest.

            “It’s my job to.” Yuri gave him a squeeze and shut his eyes, just relishing in being held by him. The apartment was a little cold, so it felt nice to press close. “You’re always so warm.”

            “Yeah and you’re always cold.” Otabek smiled, giving Yuri’s shoulder a squeeze as he kicked his feet up.

            Yuri opened his eyes and cringed when he saw that ankle again. “You know, Beka, that seriously looks like a sprain. Does it hurt?”

            “Not really?”

            “Just let me get you ice. We don’t want you to make an injury even worse with competition coming up.”

            “Yura.” Otabek sighed.

            “Why don’t you want to treat an injury like that?” Yuri rolled his eyes. “You’re just being stupid now. If you get hurt and can’t compete, you’re gonna be miserable.”

            “Jesus, I just want to relax for a few minutes. We don’t have to ice it right this second.”

            “Why are you being a dick to me for trying to take care of you?”

            “Oh my God.” Otabek huffed. “I’m not being a dick, I just wanted to rest a little after practicing all day.”

            “You are. You’re stressed again, so you’re just taking it out on me.”

            “Fucking hell, Yuri. Can I take a breath for one second? You’re always fucking doing this, you get bored and try to annoy me, when you fucking _know_ -“

            Otabek was cut short by a hard knock on the door, the sound jerking Yuri up and rattling him further. The home visit.

            “Shit.” Otabek swallowed, his face pale and his eyes wide. “C-Can you get it? I’m sorry I yelled, just-“

            “We’ll talk about this later.” Yuri said, blinking his eyes fast and swallowing the lump in his throat. He wanted to fucking cry from Otabek snapping on him like that again, but they had absolutely no leeway with this home visit if she’d just heard them fighting through the door. His heart ached though. Otabek thought he was annoying? He took a deep breath then rushed to the door, forcing a grin when he opened it. “Hi! Are you the social worker?” He greeted a middle aged woman in a pantsuit with thick glasses and dark hair. She seemed nice enough, but she also wasn’t smiling. “Come on in.” Yuri stepped aside, so she could walk past him.

            “Hi, it’s nice to meet you.” Otabek smiled when he walked up, reaching his hand out to shake hers. He was keeping it together, but Yuri could see how freaked out he was. “Mara just went down for a nap, do you want us to go get her?”

            “Just for a few minutes.” She nodded, bringing her clipboard out and clicking a pen. “I’m going to ask her a few questions alone and then I’ll take a look around the apartment.”

            “Great, I’ll be right back.” Otabek headed off and Yuri cringed looking at his ankle, but didn’t say anything.

            “Can I get you anything?” He asked her while Otabek went into Mara’s room, his heart still pounding against his chest.

            “I’m fine.” She shrugged.

            “Here she is.” Otabek said as he stepped out, holding a half asleep Mara in his arms. “Sorry, she’s a little tired after school.”

            “Does she nap every day?”

            “Not on weekends. School tuckers her out, so week days she’ll sleep, but just for half an hour, so she won’t stay up at night.” Otabek brought her over and kissed the top of her little head. “Say hi, Sweetie.”

            “Hi.” Mara yawned, nuzzling her cheek against Otabek’s shoulder before shutting her eyes again.

            “We’ll put you back to bed in a minute.”

            “Just put her on the sofa please and step out of the room. I’ll be done in about five minutes?”

            “We leave her?” Otabek blinked. “Um… I’m not trying to be nosey, but can we have a baby monitor on or anything?”

            “Sorry no.” She said and Otabek bit his lip. “Is that an issue?”

            “Uh…” He took a deep breath and shook his head. “No. But she’s an abuse victim, so please keep your distance from her and everything while you talk.”

            “Understood.”

            Otabek walked Mara to the couch and set her down, planting a kiss on the top of her head. “Hey, the nice lady’s going to ask you a few questions okay? Be completely honest with her.”

            Mara looked antsy and confused, shifting around on the sofa cushion, but she still nodded.

            “Just shout if you need us okay? We’re just gonna leave the room for a few minutes.”

            “Okay.” Mara pouted and he gave her one more kiss to reassure her before cocking his head towards the back hall.

            “We’ll go to our room, just come knock when you’re done.”

            “Sure thing.” The social worker nodded and Yuri followed Otabek back to the bedroom, his stomach hurting as he shut the door behind them.

            “Fuck.” Otabek sighed, sitting down on the bed and crossing his arms. “I’m an idiot. I’m really sorry for snapping, I was just so on edge and I feel stupid for hurting myself in practice.”

            “I mean, as long as she didn’t hear anything through the door, we’re okay.” Yuri shrugged as he sat down next to him, letting Otabek lean his head on his shoulder. “You didn’t have to call me annoying. That really hurt.”

            “I-I know. I didn’t mean that at all, I’m so sorry. Are you mad?”

            “Kind of. You really need to take care of that fucking ankle. I’m serious.”

            “Okay. I’ll ice and wrap it as soon as she leaves.” Otabek hugged one of Yuri’s arms and pressed a kiss against his shoulder. “I’m really sorry though.”

            “I know.” Yuri’s heart sank. He was getting a little tired of Otabek apologizing, but he’d snap now and then too, so he knew that wasn’t fair. “At least this is it. We can finally do the mediation and be done.”

            “Yeah.” Otabek took a deep breath and leaned up to nuzzle his nose against Yuri’s cheek. “Can I make your favorite for dinner?”

            “I’d rather you just stay off your feet honestly.”

            “Well let’s just order pizza then.” He said, wrapping his arms around Yuri’s waist just to hold him tight. “I’m gonna talk to Beth about this whole snapping thing. It’s really not like me at all and it’s not fair to you.”

            “I mean, you usually have more of an outlet. You haven’t been able to DJ since we got Mara just because of time and everything.”

            “Maybe, but I don’t really want to go out at night and do that when I could be home with you guys.”

            “We’d be okay.” Yuri said, kissing the top of Otabek’s head. “Just please try to make a little bit more of an effort? I know I snapped at you too, but the ratio is like five to one. I hate when you curse at me.” His shoulders slumped a little bit. “When you told me you couldn’t be yelled at, I took it really seriously and I’ve slipped up, but I keep it in mind every time we disagree. I just want you to do the same.”

            “You’re completely right.” Otabek nodded. “I know I should probably get an outlet, but I don’t want to miss time with you and Mara. Especially if this custody thing doesn’t go well.” Otabek glanced towards the bedroom door and grimaced. “I hope Mara’s okay out there.”

            “Try to be optimistic.”

            Otabek nodded again and reached over to hold Yuri’s hand, squeezing tight. “I won’t snap at you again. Seriously.”

            “I believe you.” Yuri smiled and he really did mean that. He knew it wasn’t like Otabek, so once the whole custody mess was over,

            A soft knock came from the bedroom door and Otabek jumped up to open it, grinning at Mara standing in the doorway. “Hey you. All done?”

            “Yeah.” She nodded as she rubbed her little eyes. “Can I go back to sleep?”

            Yuri laughed a little at that. Most kids hated taking naps, but as usual, Mara wasn’t like most kids.

            “In just a second, Kiddo.” Otabek said, scooping her up and gesturing for Yuri to follow him out. “Can we show you around?” He asked the social worker when they stepped back into the living room.

            “No, actually I think I have all I need.” She said, rising from the couch and putting her pen back in her pocket.

            “Oh.” Otabek blinked. “Don’t you have questions for us?”

            “Nope. I’ll just be on my way.”

            “Okay then, um, have a nice a day.” Otabek said, his face pale again as he walked over to hold the door for her.

            Yuri watched her go and bit his lip when Otabek shut the door behind her. “What was that?”

            “I have no idea.” Otabek swallowed. “I-I’m gonna put Mara back to bed.”

            Yuri sighed and went to get him an ice pack. What the fuck? Had something gone wrong with Mara’s interview? Now Otabek was going to be even more freaked out. “Here.” He said when Otabek came back out, handing him the ice and cocking his head towards the sofa.

            “Why did she just leave like that?”

            “I don’t know, but it’s out of our control, so let’s not dwell on it okay? You need to sleep tonight.”

            They sat down together and Otabek put his foot back up, Yuri putting the ice on his ankle before snuggling into him a little bit.

            “I love when you wear sweaters.” Otabek sighed, wrapping his arms around Yuri and kissing the top of his head. “They make you so soft and cozy.”

            Yuri smiled and took a deep breath in. Otabek smelled like cinnamon and he just wanted to shut his eyes and take a nap right there, so he pulled away to grab the spare blanket from the arm rest. “Do you mind if I lay down on you?”

            “Go ahead.”

            “Okay, play with my hair.” Yuri yawned as he laid down with his head in Otabek’s lap, sighing when Otabek’s fingers raked gently through his hair. “We can order the pizza in a few minutes.”

            “Yura?”

            “Yeah?”

            “I know I shouldn’t ask anything from you right now with how much of a dick I’ve been, but could you help me get to sleep tonight? I mean if you could just rub my shoulders, or anything. I’m just already worked up and I can feel another bad night coming on.”

            “Of course Beka.” Yuri nodded, nuzzling his cheek against Otabek’s thigh. “We’ll get through it together.”

            “Thank you.” Otabek breathed. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

            “Well you definitely wouldn’t sleep.”

            “True.” Otabek laughed, leaning down to plant a kiss on Yuri’s cheek. “I love you. I’m gonna order a shit ton of pizza, okay?”

            “Okay.” Yuri smiled too and shut his eyes. “I love you too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay! Expect at least one chapter a week, but I've had some time to get a little ahead, so hopefully I can get two in this time around. Big things to come next chapter lol


	12. Chapter Twelve - Nosebleeds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> France, fist fights, and figure skating

            Otabek managed to get some sleep that night. Yuri made him hot chocolate and rubbed his shoulders while they watched a bad movie, making stupid jokes all evening just to get him in a good mood. Otabek fell asleep, clinging to him with his head rested on Yuri’s chest and they made it through the night without Mara waking them up.

            Otabek seemed to be doing a lot better when they dropped Mara off in the morning, even if he was anxious about how the visit had gone and at practice, Otabek’s ankle was feeling better. He still took it easy though and stuck by Yuri to help him and do a few ice dance moves together. That was something that always cheered him up.

            “Beka.” Yuri laughed when Otabek slid up behind him, his arms wrapping around his waist for the thousandth time that day. “Hey, Yakov’s gonna get mad.”

            “Shh, let him.” Otabek said as he turned his head and pressed a line of kisses down Yuri’s neck. “You look too cute in your practice clothes. Can’t help it.”

            Yuri glanced towards the side of the ice where Yakov was watching them and laughed when he rolled his eyes. _Sorry_ , he mouthed, turning around in Otabek’s arms to give him a proper kiss on the lips. “I like when you’re sweet at practice.” He murmured, nuzzling his nose against Otabek’s. “Do you want to go out to dinner with Mara tonight?”

            “Sure.” Otabek gave his waist a squeeze then dropped his hands, using them to hold Yuri’s instead as he skated back. “Can I spin you?”

            “Yeah go ahead.” Yuri said, letting go of one of his hands, so they could do it, but Otabek’s phone started to ring in his back pocket.

            “Oh shit, one second Yura.” He said as he took his phone out, still holding on to one of Yuri’s hands and squeezing it when he answered the phone cal. “Hi, is everything okay?” Otabek frowned. “Oh. Should we come get her? Or should we just drop something off?”

            “What happened?”

            “We’ll be right over. Thanks for calling.” Otabek hung up and sighed, putting his phone back in his pocket. “Mara had an accident and it sounds like the kids were really mean to her, so let’s just take her home.”

            “Oh shit.” Yuri sighed. “I hate other kids. Other kids seem shitty.”

            “I know, our kid’s the best.” Otabek cocked his head towards the edge of the ice. “Come on, we need to grab some clothes for her first.”

            “Yakov we have to go.” Yuri said when they skated back to the edge, stepping off and bringing his foot up to start unlacing his skates. “We’ll stay extra next time, alright? Mara’s got a problem at school.”

            “Are you sure you’re going to be ready for France?”

            “Yeah, yeah we’ll be fine.” Yuri sighed, tugging off one skate then switching to the other. “We’ll just bring her next time.”

            Yakov shrugged his shoulders and Yuri took Otabek to grab their stuff and get their regular shoes back on.

            They rushed to get back to the apartment first and grabbed her a change of clothes before jumping in the car and heading to school.

            “I mean she’s gotta be super freaked out.” Otabek sighed as he drove a little over the speed limit. “Remember what she said about Dad and how he used to hit her if she had accidents and stuff like that? She flipped out at Victor and Yuuri’s, what if the school doesn’t know what to do?’

            “It’s fine, Beka. We know what to do and we’ll be there in like a minute to take care of her.”

            “Still.” Otabek said as he turned a corner and stopped the car in front of the school. “Come on, let’s just get her home.”

            Mara was waiting for them with the school nurse, sniveling and Otabek took her straight to the restroom to change her clothes. Yuri felt like shit seeing her cry like that. He hoped the kids hadn’t been too mean to her.

            “Hey Kiddo, you feeling better?” Yuri asked when Otabek brought her back out, rushing over to kiss her head.

            Mara just shook her head and sniffled some more.

            “You want to go get some ice cream?”

            “Really?” She peeped and Otabek hugged her a little tighter.

            “Yeah, of course.” Yuri laughed. “Come on, let’s go. It’ll be fun.”

            “Okay.”

            “That’s our girl.” Otabek said, kissing the top of her head as they left the nurse’s office to go sign her out of school. “Hey we’ll do whatever you want today, alright? Everyone has bad days.”

            Mara nodded in understanding and they went to the main office to get her signed out. She seemed to be pretty okay, just a little upset, so they took her to the ice cream place by the apartment and let her get something big. They sat at a booth in the back, so they wouldn’t attract any attention and Otabek kept his arm around Yuri’s shoulders, pressing a few little kisses to his head or cheek when no one was looking.

            “You’re pretty affectionate today.” Yuri said, leaning his head on Otabek’s shoulder while Mara went to town on a sundae.

            “Well I have that therapy session this evening and I’ve just been thinking a lot about how I’ve talked to you lately and stuff. I feel really bad.” Otabek sighed and nuzzled his nose against Yuri’s hair. “I want to be better for you.”

            “Aw.” Yuri really just cared that Otabek was trying, but it felt nice to know how hard he was thinking about it. He glanced around to make sure no one was looking their way, then reached up to pull Otabek into a short kiss.

            “You guys kissed.” Mara giggled, vanilla ice cream smeared around her mouth.

            “Hey we kiss all the time.” Yuri laughed too as he reached over to wipe her face with a napkin. “What’s so funny this time?”

            “I dunno.”

            Otabek smiled and planted another kiss on Yuri’s forehead just to make her giggle again. “You guys are so cute.” He leaned down next to Yuri’s ear and lowered his voice so Mara wouldn’t hear. “If you get Mara to sleep before I’m back, I’ll do whatever you want.”

            Yuri’s face turned red. “She’ll be down.”

            “Okay.” Otabek laughed. “Think about what you want.”

**

            When Otabek went to his appointment, Yuri gave Mara her bath and read her an extra bedtime story to make sure she was down before he hopped in the shower. They’d had sex recently, but he wanted to make it a little special tonight since Otabek was being so sweet, so he shaved everything and blew out his hair, checking on Mara one more time before he slipped into some of the lingerie he hadn’t worn in a little while. Otabek had given it to him one of their anniversaries before they moved in together. It was a little girly for his taste, but he liked the way he looked like in it and he knew Otabek did too. The underwear was sheer and light purple with a matching, but equally see through tank top. Girly, but he didn’t mind if it made him look good.

            The moment he heard the front door open, he walked out to greet him. “Hey.” Yuri grinned, wrapping his arms around Otabek’s neck and kissing his jaw. “Was the session good?”

            “Yeah, it went well.” Otabek smiled, his cheeks a little pink as he put his hands on Yuri’s waist. “Is Mara asleep?”

            “She better be, my ass is, like, out.”

            “Yura.” Otabek laughed.

            “It’s fine, she’s totally asleep.” Yuri took Otabek’s hands and led him back towards the hall. “I thought about what I want.”

            “Oh yeah?”

            “Mhm.” He pulled Otabek into the bedroom and locked the door. The baby monitor was on, so they could hear if anything was wrong, but he didn’t want to risk Mara wandering in.

            “So what’s the deal for tonight?”

            “I thought we could use that thing you bought again.” Yuri blushed, walking to the nightstand, so he could take out the toy from before. “Could you use this on me and use your mouth too? Kind of like before. I’ll do you after.”

            “Sure, if that’s what you want.” Otabek said as he kicked his shoes off and shrugged his jacket off his shoulders. “Can I warm you up a little first? I really just want to kiss you right now.”

            “Yeah of course.” Yuri tossed everything they needed onto the bed then laid down while Otabek stripped to his boxers. “Come here.” He smiled, his cheeks turning red again when Otabek laid over him. The kiss just made him melt. Otabek’s mouth was warm and gentle as ever, his tongue prodding his mouth open and sliding carefully inside. “Mm.” He breathed into the kiss when Otabek’s hand dipped down to rub him through the underwear. “Beka, kiss my neck.” He whispered, turning his head to the side to give him access.

            Otabek complied and was just getting to work on leaving his first mark when his phone started to vibrate from his jeans on the floor. “Shit, I should get that.”

            Yuri sighed, but nodded in agreement, taking his arms away, so Otabek could get up and dig his phone out. “Who is it?”

            “Shit, it’s the lawyer.”

            “Really?”

            “Yeah.” Otabek said, sliding back into bed to be close to him before he answered. “Hello?”

            Yuri rolled onto his side and snuggled in while Otabek listened.

            “Wait, what?” Otabek said, tensing against Yuri. “That’s insane. H-How can they even use that?”

            “Beka?” Yuri frowned.

            “When are we sitting down with them?”

            Yuri opted to save his questions for when Otabek was done and just hugged him instead, trying to give him some semblance of comfort while he talked.

            “O-Okay, we’ll be back in town by then. Confirm it please. We’ll be there… Okay, bye.” Otabek hung the phone up and groaned, running a hand through his hair. “They’re going to attack us for the gay thing hard. They’re using the fact that Mara sleeps with us some times to try and paint us as some kind of creeps, can you believe that? And my fucking psych eval. Fuck, Yura.”

            “What about your psych eval?” Yuri asked, sitting up and putting his hand on his shoulder.

            “It said I showed signs of PTSD or some shit.” Otabek huffed. “He just said that we should be prepared for them to use that.”

            “Oh Beka.” Yuri said, moving forward to hug him. “I’m sorry. It’ll be okay.”

            “Would you hate me if I asked to postpone sex tonight?” He asked, his voice wavering a little bit.

            “Of course not. I’ll just put my pajamas on.” Yuri ran his hand through Otabek’s hair to soothe him a little bit and kissed his nose. “Some other night.”

            “I’m sorry.”

            “Don’t be. I’m kind of worried too, so I’d rather wait anyways.” Yuri said as he got out of bed and gathered their things to put them back in the nightstand. “You know if Mara ever wanders into this drawer, we’re going to have a lot of explaining to do.”

            “Oh God, I don’t want to think about Mara and the talk.”

            “We’ve got a long ways to go before that.” Yuri stripped back down and tucked the lingerie away in the dresser before changing into his pajamas. “So when are we having the mediation?”

            “After we get back from France for competition. Victor and Yuuri didn’t get assigned to it, so they might have to take Mara for a few days.”

            “Okay, I’ll give them a heads up.” Yuri buttoned up his pajama shirt and slid back into bed to hold him. “Come here and take a deep breath.” He cooed, feeling Otabek relax a little when he snuggled in close. “Hey you know what? Think a bout France.” He said as he pressed a few kisses into his hair. “We can do a little bit of sightseeing. It’ll be really romantic and we’ll bring something back for Mara.”

            “Yeah?”

            “Yeah.” Yuri smiled, hugging Otabek tight. “Let’s go to the living room. I think we could both use some wine.”

            “I should get dressed.”

            “I’m not complaining.” Yuri pressed a kiss against his cheek then got up to get Otabek his pajamas. He really hoped that everything was going to turn out okay. That was some pretty ugly stuff to try and use against them in the custody mediation. He just didn’t want to let on how nervous he was, for Otabek’s sake. “Everything’s gonna be fine once we get through all this. Just think about France okay? Seriously. Think about France.”

            Otabek laughed a little and took his pajamas from Yuri, taking his wrist and tugging him into one more kiss. “That does make me feel better.”

**

            Despite the stress of competition, traveling to France seemed to do wonders for them. They were both anxious leaving Mara with Victor and Yuuri for so long, but they called three times a day to speak to her and she seemed to be having fun. She loved to play with Makkachin and loved Yuuri’s cooking too, so as long as they felt like she was having a blast, they kind of had one too. With all the other stuff on their minds, competition seemed less important.

            Both of them nailed the short program, Yuri pulling into first with Otabek just five points behind him. That night, they went straight back to the hotel and finally had sex without their hands over each others mouths, both a little drunk on good wine from the hotel bar and finally relaxed. After that, the free skate went by in a flash. They had a few missteps, but no major falls and Otabek’s ankle held up well. On the podium together, Yuri held Otabek’s hand tight and being in France and all where it wasn’t so taboo, they were happy to kiss on camera.

            Their ice dance got it’s first test run at that night’s exhibition and Yuri had never felt more in love. Otabek lifted him like it was so easy and brought him back down so carefully without being too slow. It was hard to resist kissing him when they got into the spins, their faces so close together in the positions they’d chosen, but he was smart enough to know they’d topple right over if he closed that gap between them. When they finished though, Yuri couldn’t resist pulling him in even if it made the crowd roar. He’d never felt so close. The competition had been a honeymoon of it’s own and dancing like that with Otabek in front of so many people, putting their love on display, it just made him wish they were married already.

            That was the night Otabek took him to the top of the Eiffel Tower. It was freezing cold even with their coats on, but the view of the city with all of those lights, made it seem so warm. Yuri pressed close to him anyways, breathing in his cologne and relishing in his warmth. Otabek’s arm was around his waist and he just tucked himself right into his side, his head on his shoulder and both arms wrapped around him as they looked at the view.

            “I really wish we were married already.” Yuri murmured, squeezing him a little tighter. “I just want to be your husband.”

            “I never thought I’d hear you say that.” Otabek laughed. “Me too.”

            “Never?”

            “Well not at first.” He shrugged. “I mean you were so punky and not that it wasn’t emotional too, but we went so fast sexually. I didn’t think about it too much until all this happened. I mean, I thought we’d always be together, but I pictured more travelling and skating, less weddings and kids.”

            “Are you happy we’re taking the weddings and kids route?”

            “I wouldn’t trade it for the world.” Otabek sighed, leaning his head on Yuri’s as he looked out. “You?”

            “I never thought about marriage and stuff that much, but yeah. I actually can’t believe how happy I am that we’re doing this.”

            Otabek finally made the move and lifted his head, letting Yuri look up before he brought their lips together in a soft kiss that made Yuri melt right into him. It was so warm and familiar, but his heart was racing more than ever. He opened his mouth for Otabek’s tongue and brought his hands up to hold his face as they kissed, the wind blowing over them as they held each other. “I love you.” Otabek was the first to say when they parted, nuzzling his nose against Yuri’s and dropping his hands to hold his. “So much, Yura.”

            “I love you too.” Yuri kissed him one more time, relishing in how perfect his lips fit against Otabek’s before pulling away and cocking his head back towards the elevator. “I think we can go back now.”

            They went back to the hotel, unable to part with each other. Yuri wouldn’t let go of Otabek’s hand and snuggled up with him in the taxi to stay warm and stay close to him. As soon as they locked the door to their hotel room, Otabek scooped him up and carried him to bed, kicking and laughing until Otabek stripped him down and let Yuri do the same to him. They laid upside down on the bed, rolling around on the king sized mattress until Yuri wrapped his legs around Otabek’s hips and after some quick, messy preparation, they made love with even more intensity than the night before.

            “Let’s just fall asleep like this.” Yuri sighed, half on top of Otabek with his head on his chest and a wet spot beneath their hips. “I don’t want to move.”

            “We have to catch an early flight, Babe.” Otabek laughed. “Come on, I’ll shower with you.”

            “Mm, five more minutes.” He mumbled as he pressed some lazy kisses to Otabek’s neck. “We should come back here for the honeymoon.”

            “I was thinking the same thing. It’s so nice here. I can just kiss you in public and we can be cheesy and gross all we want.” Otabek shifted up and smacked a kiss against Yuri’s forehead before pulling away and getting out of bed. “Come on, I’ll wash your hair.”

**

            Victor and Yuuri had already taken Mara to school by the time they got back in the middle of the day, so they had a little more time to themselves. They were usually pretty affectionate, but after France, it was a whole new level.

            Yuri didn’t care about people watching. Unless he saw a cop, he was holding Otabek’s hand and he was proud to do it. They went out for lunch after sleeping off some jet lag and took the long way back to the apartment, just wanting to walk together.

            “So the mediations at noon right? Mara doesn’t come?”

            “No, we’ll take her to school.” Otabek said, squeezing Yuri’s hand. “I really think it’s gonna be okay. I feel good about things.”

            “Aw, I’m really glad, Beka.” Yuri knew there were other people walking, but it was mostly on instinct when he leaned up and planted a kiss on Otabek’s cheek. “I feel good about it too-“

            “Fags.” Someone huffed behind them and Yuri tensed, pulling away from Otabek and letting go of his hand to look around. It seemed like the guy was an American tourist. English was both Yuri’s and Otabek’s second language and since Mara and all their friends spoke it, they didn’t really use Russian. Otabek only knew Kazakh anyways besides English, which almost all the internationally competitive skaters spoke. Basically, they used English and when they walked around Russia, they usually didn’t expect people to understand them. But this guy did. And he knew he could argue with them.

            “Excuse me?” Yuri glared, balling his fists. “The fuck did you just call us?”

            “Yura.” Otabek said, but Yuri brushed him off.

            “I called you fags.” The guy said with a roll of his eyes. “I thought this country got rid of all you. Isn’t it supposed to be illegal or something?”

            “Isn’t harassment supposed to be illegal?”

            “Harassment?” He laughed. “I called you a name, Jesus. You people are always so sensitive.”

            Yuri stepped forward, but Otabek pulled him back. “ _Beka_.” He hissed, yanking his arm out of his grip and marching up to close the gap between him and the stranger. He had no fucking tolerance left for people who tried to treat them like freaks. Not after everything they’d been through. He cocked his fist back, completely willing to break a finger or two for this, but before he could throw his fist, the other man’s hand came up and clocked him right in the nose.

            “Yuri!” Otabek called out, rushing forward to catch him as he stumbled back. “Hey, are you okay? Let me see, Baby.” He cooed in that tone of voice he took on when he was obviously panicked, but trying to comfort someone else.

            Yuri could feel blood gushing against his hand from his nose, but he kicked up to try and nail the dude in balls, only for him to step back.

            “Sit down, Babe.” Otabek said, lowering him to the cement and smacking a kiss to his forehead before he stepped forward and hit the guy back fast enough to keep him from dodging.

            Yuri thought he couldn’t ever top how much he loved Otabek at the Eiffel Tower last night, but this was cutting it pretty fucking close. The guy fell all the way back onto the concrete and Otabek whipped around to help Yuri to his feet, cocking his head towards the alley.

            “We’ll go in through the back of the apartment building, come on.” He said and even with all the blood on his face and his heartbeat in his nose, Yuri grinned as he followed him.

            They ducked into the alley and ran, easily out of sight before the guy could even get back on his feet. Yuri kept a hand over his nose and held Otabek’s with the other as they bolted together. The apartment wasn’t far and they had a key to the back door, so they just ducked inside and went upstairs straight to their place.

            “Come on, let me see how bad it is.” Otabek said, his voice soft as he lead Yuri into the bathroom.

            “I can’t believe you hit someone.” Yuri laughed. “That was crazy.”

            “Well I’m not just gonna let someone hit you.” He sighed, patting the counter, so Yuri would hop up. “I really hope your nose isn’t broken.”

            “I think it’s just a little banged up.”

            “Well your pain tolerance is ridiculous, so.” Otabek shrugged and dampened a washcloth under the sink, so he could clean his face up. “We’re gonna have to explain this to Mara.”

            “Shit.” Yuri grimaced, wincing when Otabek dabbed the blood away. “I’m sorry for getting into it with him.”

            “Don’t be. We stand up for each other.” Otabek finished wiping the blood away and brought his hands up to Yuri’s face, so he could examine the nose. “Hm. I think you’re right, it doesn’t look broken. No photo shoots for you though.”

            “Does it look that bad?”

            “It’s a little purple, but he had a ring on that lacerated you between your nostrils and that’s where most of the blood came from. There was a little distance, so I don’t think he actually got you too hard.” Otabek pressed a kiss to each of Yuri’s cheeks then dropped his hands to Yuri’s hips. “We’ll put a bandage on to keep it set.”

            “You’re pretty good at playing doctor, you know.”

            “Yeah?” Otabek smiled, taking a bandage out of the drawer and placing it carefully on Yuri’s nose, kissing him when he winced.

            “Is your hand okay?”

            “Yeah, it’s fine.” Otabek said as he brought it up. His knuckles were a little bruised and one had split, but he just put a band aid over it. “It’s been a long time since we’ve pulled any shit like that.”

            “It was a little fun.”

            “A little bit. I’d rather you not get your face broken though.” Otabek stepped between Yuri’s open knees and gave him one more kiss, careful not to hurt his nose when he prodded his tongue between his parted lips. “You know what the best pain killer is?”

            “Some of that wine we brought back?”

            “Close.” Otabek pecked his forehead, then dropped down to his knees, taking one of Yuri’s hands and putting it on top of his head as he dragged Yuri’s zipper down.

            “Oh fuck, that’s pretty good too.” Yuri sighed. “I love you.”

**           

            Otabek explained, without too much detail, what happened when he went to pick up Mara and she was a little frightened at first, seeing Yuri’s face, but settled down pretty quick once he gave her a hug. He reassured her a little and they all snuggled up together for some movie time. They hadn’t told her about the mediation tomorrow. She wouldn’t really understand it and it would only scare her, so they just opted to make her happy.

            Despite that, she did have a nightmare that night and crawled into bed with them.

            Neither of them minded. It had been a while since she’d done it and with the mediation tomorrow, they wanted to hold her close.

Yuri was the last to fall asleep, too busy smiling at how similar Otabek and Mara looked while they slept. He really loved this. Their family, their home. He wasn’t going to let anyone take it away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Early update! The mediation will take place next chapter, so I promise the story's about to start moving forward again quite a bit (i worry i'm not giving you guys enough plot ahh!) and I'll have it up by Monday at the latest.


	13. Chapter Thirteen - Down To Business

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time for that first custody mediation, gear up y'all

            “Shit, we look like we got into some kind of bar fight.” Yuri winced as he dabbed make up over the bruise on his nose.

            “It’s fine, we’re gonna say it was a skating accident. My uh, skate flew off and hit you in the face, alright?” Otabek sighed. “I can’t let anything freak me out right now. We have to be calm for this.”

            “Okay.” Yuri said although he didn’t know if that lie made them seem more or less suspicious. He wanted Otabek to take the lead.

            “Do you think I look okay?”

            “Hm?” Yuri turned away from the mirror and looked Otabek over, nodded. He did look good. His suit fit well, his hair was nice. “You look good.”

            Otabek took a deep breath. “Okay. Are you ready to go?”

            “Yeah, if you are.”

            “Can you drive? I-I’m just nervous.” Otabek stuttered and Yuri stepped forward to give him a kiss, swiping his tongue over his lower lip just a bit to make him blush.

            “It’ll be okay.” Yuri whispered, his hands squeezing Otabek’s hips. “Whatever happens, we’ll be okay. If this doesn’t go our way, we’ll fight it and I’ll be right here every step of the way.”

            “You’re always so amazing.” Otabek smiled, his hands coming up to cup Yuri’s face. “I think you look really handsome with your nose all busted.”

            “Yeah you know that busted nose is pretty sore.” Yuri shrugged, running the tip of his finger over Otabek’s lips. “I’m gonna need some more of that pain killer you gave me yesterday.”

            “Let’s see how we feel after this whole thing goes down.” Otabek laughed, pulling away to get his shoes on. “But sure.”

**

            “What the hell did you guys do?” Their lawyer said the very second they walked up to meet him in the hall by the mediation room.

            “Um… there was kind of an altercation?” Otabek said, glancing down at his shoes. “It wasn’t entirely our fault. This guy in the street hit Yuri.”

            “Why?”

            “He was calling us these homophobic names, so Yuri yelled at him and the guy just punched him in the nose.”

            George sighed and glanced down at Otabek’s hand. “I’m guessing you hit him back?”

            “I mean yeah, he nearly broke Yuri’s nose. We got a story for it though.”

            “Nope. No stories, no lying. Your credibility is key here, so if they ask about the injuries, I’ll explain briefly and move on. Got it?”

            “Are they already here?” Yuri frowned, glancing towards the door of the mediation room.

            “They were early, yeah. We can head in when you guys are ready, but I wanted to touch base first. Just answer everything honestly. You guys have nothing to hide, okay?”

            “Got it.” Yuri nodded, taking Otabek’s hand and lacing their fingers together. “You good?”

            “Yeah.” He sighed. “Yeah, let’s just go.”

            George led the way and opened the door for them. The room was similar to the one they took the psych test in, just with more light. There was a wooden table with three chairs on one side and two at the other, the mediator sitting at the head. On one side, sat what Yuri presumed was Otabek’s aunt, an older woman with auburn dyed hair and too much make up, a younger man beside her that must be her lawyer.

            They all walked in together and took their seats, Otabek gripping his hand hard. The mediator was a younger looking woman, which put them at ease a tiny bit. Women seemed less likely to be homophobic in their experience.

            “Alright.” The mediator cleared her throat and opened up a manila folder in front of her, clicking a pen and sliding a pair of glasses down from the top of her head. “Let’s get started. Otabek, you are the sole legal guardian of Mara Altin, correct?”

            “Correct.” Otabek swallowed, running his thumb in anxious circles over the back of Yuri’s hand.

            “And she’s currently enrolled in school in this district?”

            “She is.”

            “Okay then, so…” She raised her eyebrows and turned towards Otabek’s aunt. “What are your reasons for challenging Mr. Altin’s adoption?”

            Her attorney coughed and took a moment to straighten his tie before pulling a legal pad full of notes out of his briefcase. “My client is concerned with Mr. Altin raising Mara for many different reasons. We don’t believe that the healthiest environment for such a young girl is living with men. We don’t believe it’s appropriate for either of them to be responsible for her and we don’t believe that their lifestyle is best for Mara. We also have concerns about the mental health of both Mr. Altin and his partner. We object to the notion of two men being able to raise a child together in a country where gay adoption is illegal even if they did work the loophole.”

            “What do you have to back up these objections?”

            “The social worker who conducted their surprise home visit reported back some disturbing things from Mara’s interview.”

            “Wait, what?” Otabek blinked, turning to George, who waved him off.

            “Sh, it’s probably bullshit.” Yuri whispered before throwing a dirty look towards that fucking old woman. He swore if he could hit any person on the planet, it would be her. Everything Otabek had been through and now she was doing this to him too.

            “If I can continue.” The other attorney said. “The social worker stated in this report here that Mara regularly sleeps in the same bed as Mr. Altin and Mr. Plisetsky. She is frequently undressed in front of them as well and when asked if Mr. Altin and Plistetsky are often angry with each other, she said yes.”

            Yuri’s heart sank at that. The stuff about sleeping together and undressing was a bunch of bullshit. That was stuff all parents did with little ones and he trusted the mediator to see right through that, but the anger thing? He felt horrible. That was all their fault for fighting in front of her.

            “Do you have a copy of the report from social services?”

            “Right here.” The lawyer nodded, passing the mediator a piece of paper.

            Yuri could feel Otabek’s hand sweating in his grip.

            “Alright, this is nothing but a homophobic witch hunt.” George said, pulling out a few notes of his own. “Mara is four years old. She’s a child and when she has nightmares, she _voluntarily_ sleeps in the same bed as my client, her older brother, who she trusts, and Mr. Plistestky who she also has a very strong bond with. If you read the full interview from that report, you’ll notice that the line of questioning was extremely biased. The social worker asked at least a dozen questions just pertaining to the fact that my client and his partner are in a romantic relationship, so because of that bias, I want a motion filed with the judge to not consider that interview.”

            “Noted.” The mediator nodded. “Mrs. Altin, you bring up claims regarding mental health, so I’m going to ask for some elaboration.”

            “Mr. Altin’s psych evaluation showed signs of PTSD. This makes us concerned for Mara’s safety and for her emotional stability if her parent is not mentally stable himself. In fact, we want to bring up today that Mr. Plisetsky is clearly injured and the possibility that Mr. Altin is responsible should be consider.”

            George spoke up before Yuri could, thankfully, and held a hand up to tell him to stop talking. “This is absolutely ridiculous. Mr. Plisetsky’s injuries were not inflicted by my client and Otabek’s trauma only makes him a better parent for Mara. That PTSD stems from the abusive home that both him and Mara were raised in. He’ll be better able to relate to her and help her through her own trauma because of it.”

            “That doesn’t rule out the clear indications at this table that he could be physically abusive.”

            “Okay, they have absolutely no real evidence of this, so I want that entire argument to be stricken. Mr. Plistetsky received the injury when a man on the street attacked him for being affectionate with his partner, my client.”

            Yuri watched the back and forth go down and glanced toward Otabek, his stomach hurting. He felt so stupid. He felt stupid for not training Mara to answer interview questions about them and stupid for fighting in front of her, stupid for getting into that fight. He could tell Otabek was worried sick too. It wasn’t easy to just be crucified like this for every single thing.

The lawyers fought it out and Otabek seemed to be getting more and more distraught. Yuri could feel him gripping his hand tighter, trembling in his grip. When they started debating the severity of the abuse from their parents and how that would some how make Otabek unfit, something finally snapped.

            “I need to fucking speak.” Otabek croaked, letting go of Yuri’s hand and balling his fists, looking over at his aunt with wide eyes like he was angry, but so much more hurt than mad. “Aunt Katherine, Mara is traumatized. Dad hit her just like he hit me. Do you know that she came to us with bruises from him? Not even from the car crash, just from him, and they took weeks to heal. She cries every time she has to ride in a car, she freaks out when people get mad at her because she thinks that she’s going to get hit. She needs someone who has been through the abuse and can help her. She needs her brother, okay? And she needs Yuri. Mara fucking loves Yuri. He does her hair and he picks all her outfits, he plays with her every day and he’s helping teach her how to skate. Mara finally has a home. What is wrong with you?” His voice cracked and Yuri put an arm around his waist, squeezing a little to try and comfort him. “You have to stop this.” Otabek begged, his eyes welling up. “She’s taken care of. You can hate me all you want. You can hate that I’m gay, you can hate that Mara’s being raised by us, but you can not take her. You don’t know how to care for her. You don’t know what she’s been through. _I do_.” He sat back in his chair and held his face in his hands. “I hate this.”

            “Shh, it’s okay Beka. You’re doing fine.” Yuri cooed, rubbing his back.

            The mediator cleared her throat. “I think this is a good stopping point. Before we end this session, I do want to make clear that this is an opportunity to make a custody agreement outside of formal court if either side is willing to compromise.”

            “We won’t take anything, but full custody.” Otabek said, sitting straight again and taking a deep breath. “Nothing else.”

            “It’s the same for my client.” The opposing attorney said.

            The session was closed out after that and they waited while the mediator, Aunt Katherine, and her attorney all filed out. Yuri watched for the door to shut behind them then pulled Otabek into his arms immediately, squeezing tight.

            “Fuck, Yura we could lose her.” Otabek croaked, on the edge of tears as he clung to him. “I don’t know what to do.”

            “Shh, Baby it’s okay.” Yuri told him, pressing his lips against the top of Otabek’s head. “It’s fine. Really.”

            “I’m sorry that was so rough.” George sighed. “Otabek, listen, they’re not gonna win this. They have no evidence of any kind of danger to Mara and overturning an adoption is the biggest pain in the ass. You guys are going to be fine, it just feels bad because mediations are kind of intense.”

            Otabek trembled in Yuri’s arms and he hugged him tighter.

            “It’s almost time to get Mara from school, Beka. You gonna be okay?”

            “Yeah.” He gulped, pulling back and wiping his eyes. “Shit, I’m sorry, it’s just… This is hard.”

            “I know, Baby.” Yuri cooed to him. “Come on, we have time to run back to the apartment for a few minutes. I’ll drive.”

            Otabek just nodded and they all stood up to leave, Yuri keeping a protective arm around Otabek’s waist as they exited the court house. He still felt good that they would get custody, but he hated the stress it was putting on Otabek. It wasn’t fair.

            Yuri brought Otabek straight home and undid both of their ties, hanging their jackets by the door and tugging him to the couch. “Come here.” He said, lying down and pulling Otabek with him, so he could hold him close.

            “Thank you.” Otabek mumbled, hugging him back tight and letting Yuri press a few kisses into his hair.

            “Don’t worry about it.” Yuri said as he rubbed his hand up and down his fiance’s back. “Do your best to keep your mind off of it. It’s out of our hands until the next court date.”

            Yuri did everything he could, but Otabek was shaking like a leaf. That PTSD thing wasn’t just worrying because of how it could affect their custody, but if Otabek really had that, he might need medication, or some real help beyond the occasional therapy session.

            “You rest, I’m gonna go grab Mara okay? We’ll all snuggle up together when I’m back and watch a movie or something. Do you want anything to eat?”

            Otabek shook his head and curled up on the sofa. “Just hurry back.”

            “I hate leaving you like this.” Yuri grimaced, putting the keys in his pocket and walking back over to give him one more kiss. “I love you. I’ll be right back.”

            “I love you too.” Otabek said in a quiet voice. “Don’t tell Mara that anything’s wrong.”

            “I won’t.” Yuri let his hand linger a moment on Otabek’s cheek then pulled away to leave. Shit, he really didn’t know what to do. Otabek needed him, but what exactly was he supposed to do? He could comfort him all day long, but that wasn’t going to make his anxiety disappear.

            When he pulled up to the school in the car line, Mara came bounding out of the group of kids, hopping right into the back seat faster than ever before. “That was fast.” Yuri laughed as she got in her car seat, turning around to reach over and buckle her in. “You have a good day?”

            “Yeah.” She giggled. “We finger painted.”

            “Anything we can see?” Yuri smiled as he pulled away from the school and back onto the main road. It was really refreshing seeing her not afraid of the car anymore. Of course he knew that fear wasn’t gone, but it seemed now that whenever she was distracted enough, she didn’t worry about driving at all. “Hey Otabek had kind of a bad day, so let’s be extra nice to him when we get home, okay?”

            “Why’s Beka sad?”

            “Nothing for you to worry about. Just try to cheer him up a little.”

            “Okay.” She said and Yuri put on that little kids radio station for the remainder of the ride. It kind of made him want to kill himself, but Mara liked it, so he powered through.

            “We’re here.” Yuri said when he brought Mara into the apartment, setting her backpack down and hanging up her jacket while Otabek set up.

            “Hey you.” Otabek greeted Mara, holding his arms out so she could run up and hug him. “Did you have a good day at school?” He smiled as he hugged her close.

            She gave him her finger painting recap and Yuri sat back down next to him, reaching over to rub his back while he talked to Mara. It was a relief to see him smile, but he still felt worried sick.

            They all snuggled up on the couch for a while, Yuri pressed between Otabek and the back while Mara laid on Otabek’s chest. He loved that they’d spent the extra money on such a big sofa. Cuddling on it was heaven. Mara fell asleep like that and they just stayed there with her a while, needing to be close and to see her, but soon they figured she should go to bed for her nap.

            Yuri took her and tucked her in carefully enough not to wake her, setting a timer on his phone to wake up her up in thirty minutes before heading back out to Otabek. “Feeling better?”

            “A little.” Otabek sighed. “I should start dinner.”

            “Don’t worry about that right now. I want to talk to you about some stuff.” Yuri said as he snuggled into him again. “That okay?”

            “Yeah.” He nodded, lying back with Yuri and hugging him. “What is it?”

            “I think we should find you a doctor. Like your own doctor. One that specializes in abuse and PTSD in adults, just for a few sessions. I’m worried that you’re not getting what you need.”

            “I guess.” Otabek mumbled. “I mean, I don’t think I really have that.”

            “Well it wouldn’t hurt to go to a session or two then would it? I know we love the therapist we’ve got, but I don’t know if she can do this for you as well as someone else could.” He moved his head to Otabek’s chest and looked up at him. “I’m just worried about you.”

            “You worry too much.”

            “You’re one to talk.”

            “I know.” Otabek pressed a kiss to Yuri’s head and gave him a squeeze. “Thanks for being so sweet. I’ll look into it when things settle down a bit, okay?”

            “I just hate when you’re upset and there isn’t anything I can do. I mean seeing you so happy in Paris, just made me realize how much stress we’ve really been under.” He slid up a little bit and kissed his cheek. “I feel a lot better when I’m doing something to help, so is there anything I can do?”

            “You are so fucking sweet.” Otabek laughed, propping himself up on his elbow and running his free hand through Yuri’s hair. “You don’t have to do anything. Just stay close to me.” He turned his head to the side a little bit and caught his lips in a kiss, molding right into Yuri and cupping his face in his hand. “I think I’d actually feel better if I was doing something for you right now. I get kind of guilty when you’re so sweet, so let me give you a massage or some shit tonight. Like a really good one.”

            “That sounds pretty good.” Yuri blushed and nuzzled his nose against Otabek’s even if it hurt his bruises a little bit. “I’m gonna go take care of dinner. Defend me to Yakov when he sees my face all busted at practice tomorrow, okay?”

            “You got it.” He slid his hand down and gave Yuri’s ass a squeeze just to tease him before letting him pull away. “Maybe watching Yakov have an aneurysm will take our mind off things.”

**

            Yuri was pretty sure Yakov was reaching their limit with them, so he was relieved they’d both gotten a place in the Grand Prix Finals coming up. It made it a little harder for him to get _really_ fed up. First, they showed up at the rink with all their injuries, which meant a reschedule for an upcoming photo shoot. They’d hardly done any PR at all since Mara came along, so it was pretty over due, but his nose would heal in time for the finals and they could put something out before then.

            Both of them were in cheer up mode, which meant a lot of distractions and a lot of PDA too. They thought he’d gone out for lunch and since Yuuri and Victor had just gone home from an extra early morning practice, Otabek had lifted Yuri onto the divider at the edge of the rink and slid his tongue into his mouth the moment he thought they were alone. It always felt really nice making out on the ice. It was cold, so they pressed closer to each other, kissed deeper.

            “I think we have time.” Otabek mumbled against Yuri’s lips, his hand sliding up to cup him through his practice leggings, pressing down until Yakov’s throat cleared and Yuri nearly toppled off the divider.

            “Sex addicts don’t get gold medals.” He sighed. “Should I get used to having two Victor and Yuuris around?”

            “Sorry.” Yuri blushed, laughing a little as he lowered himself back onto the ice. “We uh, thought you were gone.”

            “Nope. Unfortunately.” Yakov sighed. “Listen, I need to talk to you boys about something.”

            “Huh?” Otabek blinked. “What?”

            “Well you know that people like you guys aren’t really supposed to have as much freedom as you two do around here, right?”

            “Yeah.” Yuri swallowed. “A-Are the police on to us, or-“

            “Not necessarily.”

            Yuri’s stomach turned and he pressed into Otabek’s side for the contact comfort.

            Yakov took a deep breath and scratched the back of his head. “You know that the government sponsors you to skate, yeah?”

            “Yeah of course.”

            “They’re getting fed up of how public you two are and you guys know I couldn’t care less about it, but to put it lightly, both of you need to be on the podium at the final if you want the money to keep coming in. I got a letter this morning.”

            Yuri’s blood ran cold. He knew that he would be on it, almost completely positive, but Otabek… He was only scraping into the finals. With Victor and Yuuri both competing, it was really unlikely that he was going to secure bronze.

            “Both of us?” Yuri swallowed. “What if I win? If I get gold, does Beka still have to-“

            “Yeah.” Yakov grimaced. “They’re debating whether or not it’s worth it to prop you guys up as athletes if you’re promoting this lifestyle that they don’t agree with, so I didn’t want to put the pressure on, but I can’t really withhold this from you. Just know that if this doesn’t work out, we’ll all help. I’ll cover my own fees and if you guys have to leave the country, we’ll find a new coach to set you up with.”

            Yuri was suddenly freezing cold. This was their worst nightmare. Sure, they talked about moving once they were married, but the more roots Mara developed at school, the more they felt like they should stay. If they lost their government sponsorship, they’d have a hard time meeting all of her needs and skating at the same time. He glanced up at Otabek and saw the same fear in his eyes. “We’ll make it happen. We’ll work hard.”

            “Well I’d get to it.” Yakov cocked his head towards center ice. “Otabek, I’m here for the next three hours. Let’s see what we can do to up your jump composition as much as possible, got it? You too, Yuri.”

            “Got it.” Otabek nodded.

            “We’re going to mix up your transitions too. Have you looked at your score breakdowns from France?”

            He nodded again.

            “You’re getting low grades of execution because you don’t have enough connecting steps, so we’re going to do some re-choreographing. You’re going to need to be here every day this week and you’re going to need Yuri’s help after I leave every day. Can you handle that right now?”

            “I mean, I have to, so yeah.” Otabek grimaced. “Let’s get started. Yuri, I’ll call out if I need your help, okay?”

            “Okay, Beka. Don’t push yourself too hard, we’ve got time to get ready.” He got up on his toe pick and gave him a quick kiss. “Tell me if I’m in your way.”

            Yuri felt like throwing up. Normally, he wouldn’t be so shaken about making the final podium, but now the pressure was on for real. This wasn’t just about their careers, it was about their kid. Every day, Mara felt more like a daughter and less like just his fiance’s sister, or a visiting relative. He couldn’t live with himself if he let her down and if he skated like he did at Rostelecom… They could lose everything. Plus, he had to carry Otabek too.

            He drilled the hell out of both his programs and when Yakov left, he worked with Otabek on connecting steps. That was Otabek’s biggest weakness. He had such amazing physical strength, but when it came to choreography, it took so long for him to get his head wrapped around it. Yuri could tell he was trying as hard as he could though. Every time he tripped, he got right back up and he didn’t get mad, just kept going.

            They hated to do it, but they had Victor and Yuuri pick up Mara from school and watch her for a little while, so they could stay just a little longer.

            “Alright, Beka that’s enough for today. Seriously, you’re doing amazing, let’s take a rest.” Yuri said, his hand on Otabek’s back as he hunched over to catch his breath, panting with his hands on his knees. “We’ll get back at it again tomorrow.”

            “Okay.” Otabek breathed, his hair soaked with sweat when he stood back up.

            “You should take a shower.”

            “Yeah, let’s head home.”

            “Or uh… You know, Mara’s safe with Victor and Yuuri right now and we’re the only ones here. You want to hit the locker room?”

            “Really?” Otabek asked, his chest still heaving a he caught his breath. “You feel up for that?”

            “I’m the one who should be asking you that.” Yuri held out his hand for Otabek to take and lead him off the ice. “You’re doing really great you know. You’re getting a lot better at choreography and I bet you’ll have the changes by next week.” They sat down and kicked off their skates, putting their guards on and tucking them away in their duffel bag before heading into the locker room.

            “The one in the middle’s usually cleanest.” Otabek said as they headed to the showers and stripped off their practice clothes, tossing them onto the floor a few feet away, so they wouldn’t get wet.

            “You’re uh… really sweaty.” Yuri laughed, running his hands over Otabek’s chest. “I don’t usually see your chest like this.”

            “What, shiny?”

            “I guess. I like it.” He slid his hands down Otabek’s sides then around to his ass. “You’re literally like a Ken doll, have I told you that?”

            “Like five times the first time we had sex. You know you’re not too far off from Barbie.”

            “Don’t be mean. My dick isn’t that small.”

            Otabek raised his eyebrows and Yuri snickered. “I mean, I guess it’s kind of a grower.”

            “Stop roasting my penis, or you’re not gonna see it for a while.” Yuri pressed a quick kiss to his cheek then tugged him into the shower stall, closing and locking it behind them just in case before he turned on the warm water. “Here.” He pushed Otabek back into it, then went to sink down on his knees until Otabek grabbed his shoulders and pulled him back up. “What’s up?”

            “I don’t want you to just do me. You’ve been too sweet lately.” Otabek said, his hands trailing down Yuri’s thin sides to his hips. “Tell me what you want.”

            “Beka, we can do whatever-“

            “What do you want, Yura?” Otabek looked at him, his expression soft and open, eyes locking with Yuri’s as he drifted one hand down to start touching him.

            “Um.” Yuri glanced down at his hand and blushed, stepping closer to feel a little bit of the water. “Can you lift me up?”

            Otabek raised his eyebrows. “Yura I lift you on one hand on ice like ten times a week.”

            “Yeah, but you’re tired.” Yuri said with a roll of his eyes, taking Otabek’s hand away so he could walk around him, pressing himself up against the wall beneath the shower head, so the water still went to Otabek, but they’d turned around.

            “We didn’t bring lube you know.”

            “I know.” He shrugged, putting three fingers up to Otabek’s lips. “Just do your best.”

            It had been a while since they’d had rough sex. They’d gotten into that realm a little bit when they slept together in Victor’s guest room, but there’d been no pain to that. Yuri forgot what he liked so much about it. Sure, the preparation stung a little bit without lube, but every time he winced, Otabek would coo to him, kiss him so gently that he melted. He dipped down for a few minutes and sucked him just to get everything slick before Otabek lifted him up and pressed him against the cold tile wall to start.

            “ _Beka_.” Yuri choked, his legs wrapped around the taller boy’s hips as he snapped back and forth. It hurt a little, but the angle was sending sparks up his spine. “Oh my God.”

            “Yeah?” Otabek breathed, hot and heavy against Yuri’s neck, his body slick from the water.

            Yuri couldn’t tell if it was the shower, or sweat, but he knew that he was wet all over and he loved how it felt. Everything was slick and Otabek looked great with wet hair even if he was having trouble keeping his eyes open. “Neck.” He managed to whimper, turning his head so Otabek could take his queue and suck on the sensitive skin. “Nnn, fuck.” He groaned, trying to press forward to get more friction against Otabek’s abs. “Beka, please.”

            “Sorry.” Otabek huffed, kissing both of Yuri’s cheeks before catching his lips and holding him up with one arm. He used his free hand to slip between them and stroke Yuri in time with his thrusts.

            Yuri moaned right into his mouth and knocked his head back against the wall when Otabek thumbed his tip.

            “You okay?” Otabek laughed.

            “Yes, yes. Don’t stop.” Yuri whined, rolling his hips against him. “Beka, I’m right there.”

            “Already?”

            “Yes, yes, please tell me you’re close.”

            “Uh yeah, hold on I can get there in like two seconds, just let me uh…” Otabek took his hand off Yuri’s cock for a moment and took his hand, squeezing it before bringing it to his chest. “Right there.”

            Yuri took the hint and rubbed him, twisting at the sensitive part of his chest when Otabek got back to stroking him.

            “Fuck.” Otabek sighed, pressing his forehead against Yuri’s and licking the water droplets off of his lips.

            “Beka!” Yuri cried out when he came, slumping forward instead of back this time and muffling his moans against Otabek’s neck. He felt every part of him tremble when he emptied into Otabek’s hand, his thighs shaking and his face burning hot even when he started to come down and Otabek finished inside him.

            “You’re so fucking special.” Otabek whispered when he set Yuri down, holding him close and kissing a line down his neck. “I love you.”

            “Aw, Beka.” He giggled, craning his head to the side. “That tickles.”

            “Sorry.” He said before coming back up and kissing him properly, his hands coming up to hold his face.

            Yuri leaned right into it and they stayed like that a while, just kissing and letting their hands wander. Sometimes when they were both worried sick, this was the best thing for them. It reminded them that they had each other no matter what and sometimes that could be easy to forget with everything going on and their shit luck.

            They toweled off after a few minutes and changed into the clean clothes from their lockers before heading out to go get Mara.

            “Thanks for watching her.” Otabek said when they made it to Victor’s apartment, Yuuri greeting them at the door with Mara in his arms.

            “Of course.” Yuuri smiled. “She was an angel. I’m so sorry about what you guys are going through right now, you know? Drop her off any time.”

            “Thanks.” Yuri sighed, stepping forward to take her. “I hope you guys don’t feel bad about competing or anything. You know we want you to compete just as hard at the finals, right? Even if it’s against us.”

            “I know, but are you sure you don’t want us to take it a little easy? I mean Yuri, there’s a lot at stake for you guys and me and Victor don’t even care too much about this with the baby on the way.”

            Otabek shook his head. “We couldn’t live with it. No dives, alright?”

            “Alright, but you know how dramatic Victor can be.”

            “Oh, do tell.” Victor teased as he snuck up from behind, wrapping both arms around Yuuri’s waist and kissing him on the cheek. “Kidding.”

            “Sorry.” Yuuri laughed, leaning into his touch and turning to give him a quick kiss on the lips.

            Yuri rolled his eyes, but he was happy that they were happy. Plus, he knew him and Otabek were just as bad, maybe worse. Victor took off Yuuri’s glasses and Yuri turned Mara around in his arms. “I think that’s our queue to leave.”

            “Hey don’t forget about what I let you guys do in our guest room.” Victor teased and Yuuri’s eyebrows raised.

            “What’d they do in the guest room?”

            “Alright, we’ll see you at practice tomorrow.” Otabek laughed, grabbing Yuri’s hand and tugging him off. “Bye, guys!”

            “Oh my God.” Yuri grinned as they headed down the stairs, rubbing Mara’s back as they went. “How was your day, Kiddo?”

            “Good.” She mumbled. “I made a friend.”

            “Oh yeah?” Yuri smiled over at Otabek. “Who is it?”

            “Her name’s Anna. She said we can have a play date, can I go?”

            “Of course, Ladybug.” He said as they got to the car, setting her in her car seat and buckling the seatbelt. “Introduce Otabek to her mom when he picks you up from school tomorrow, alright? We’ll set it up.”

            “Okay.”

            Yuri hopped into the driver’s seat and looked over at Otabek to see that he was beaming too. This could be her first real friend.

            They forgot a little bit about all of their problems for that night. They played with Mara until she fell asleep, ordered Chinese for dinner. When they went to bed, Yuri was positive that Otabek was going to have nightmares, but he slept sounder than ever, all curled up around Yuri like a teddy bear. Despite everything going so wrong it seemed, Yuri felt so lucky holding him there. Otabek wasn’t perfect, but God, he was a fighter. Yuri never would have believed five years ago that he’d turn into such a softie for someone, but here he was and he liked it too.

            Otabek shifted a little bit on his chest and Yuri pulled the covers further up to keep him warm, pressing one more kiss into his messy hair. They were going to get through this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm on break from school so expect more frequent updates for a little while!


	14. Chapter Fourteen - Trial & Error

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yuri boutta snap yall

            Their next court date was set pretty far away, so they decided to put all their energy into Mara. She came home every day raving about her new friend, so they decided to set up a play date. Both of them were pretty concerned that kids might bully her, or that parents might shun them if they found out they were a gay couple, so they figured they might as well bite the bullet. Otabek invited Anna’s mom over, so the girls could play and so she could meet Yuri. If she was homophobic, then at least they would know and they would figure out how to deal with it. If not, then Mara would have a great friend.

            “Should I be this nervous?” Yuri said, chewing on his nails as he watched the front door. Mara was beyond excited. She’d set her little tea set up on the coffee table and put on the princess dress she only broke out on special occasions. He really wanted this to go well. It’d break his heart if it didn’t. “Should we maybe-“

            There was a knock on the front door and they both jerked up, making quick attempts to fix their hair and straighten their clothes before Otabek walked forward to open the door.

            She was much younger than Yuri thought she would be. A young woman with dark tan skin and long hair, she was grinning and holding up Anna. The little girl looked a lot like Mara actually. She had short black hair, tan skin like her mom, and she was wearing a little pink sun dress that Yuri thought was adorable. “Hi, are you Otabek?” She smiled. “I’m Sara, it’s nice to meet you.”

            “O-Oh yeah, hey.” Otabek smiled back, reaching out to shake her hand. “This must be Anna, yeah?”

            “Yeah she’s super excited.” Sara laughed, tossing her hair back over her shoulder as Otabek let her in.

            “Uh, so this is my fiancé.” Otabek blushed when Yuri walked up to greet them, reaching over to put a hand on his lower back. “I hope that’s okay with you, I just didn’t want to be misleading.”

            “Oh.” She blinked. “That’s no problem for me. My brother’s gay, no worries at all.” She set Anna down and they all watched as she ran over to hug Mara, Yuri’s heart nearly melting at the adorable sight. That had to be the cutest thing he’d ever seen. “Do you guys usually get trouble from the other parents?”

            “We haven’t had much experience with it yet.” Yuri said. “Anna’s kind of her first friend here.”

            “Oh, did you move?”

            “Kind of?” Otabek bit his lip. “Well, she did. We just adopted her, she’s my sister.”

            “How’d that happen?” She frowned. “Oh, if you don’t mind me asking. Sorry, I’m kind of nosey.”

            Otabek just laughed and cocked his head towards the kitchen. “No worries. Let us get you some coffee or something, we can give you the story a little.”

            Sara turned out to be almost a thousand times cooler than they’d expected. Yuri just thought that she looked young, but she really was younger. She was a single mom who had Anna at 18 and she was also just funny as hell. They were insanely relieved that nothing was going to be complicated with Mara having a friend.

            They just had coffee and watched the girls play in the living room. Mara really looked over the moon. Every time Yuri glanced over, she was smiling, or giggling. It was the biggest relief whenever they saw her happy and Sara was a bonus. She ended up just staying for the whole play date. Turned out her brother was a figure skater too and she’d done it as a kid, so she knew all about it.

            “I’m so embarrassed I didn’t recognize you guys. I’ve fallen so behind on the sport since Anna came along.” Sara laughed when she headed out a few hours later. “We’ll see you again soon, yeah? Otabek if you want to start coming to PTA meetings, just text me. We’ll fight off the soccer moms together.”

            “Okay.” Otabek grinned, scooping up Mara, so she could wave goodbye to her friend. “Yeah, we’ll be in touch.”

            They let the two of them leave, then shut the door behind them, Otabek giving Mara a big squeeze while Yuri went to clean up a bit. “You have fun?”

            “Can Anna come back?”

            “Sure, Kiddo.” He said as he set her down. “Do you have anyone else that you’d want to invite over?”

            “No, just Anna.” She shook her head. “I don’t like the other kids.”

            “Aw, why not?” Otabek asked and Yuri set the tea set down to walk back over and listen.

            “They’re mean.” Mara pouted, tugging a little on their dress.

            Otabek frowned and knelt down, so he was on her level, putting a hand on her small shoulder. “Hey, how are they mean?”

            “They keep calling me stupid and Casey pushes me on the playground.”

            “Casey does? Who else?”

            “I dunno. Evgeni calls me names.”

            “Well me and Yuri are gonna talk to your teacher okay? We’ll make sure they cut that out.” Otabek planted a kiss on her forehead then got up, cocking his head towards the bathroom. “Go get ready for bath time, okay?”

            She nodded and headed off while Yuri came up to put a hand on Otabek’s back. “Beka, I know this is important, but when are we going to meet with her teacher? We can’t miss practice right now.”

            “I know.” Otabek grimaced. “We’ll just have to find the time.”

            “Are you sure?”

            “Yeah.” He sighed. “I mean I can’t let her get bullied. I know she’s at stake too with how we do in the finals, but we can’t wait to deal with this, or kids will just get meaner.”

            “Okay, just let me know what you need from me. Are you on bath duty tonight?”

            “Yup. Can you clean up the kitchen?”

            “Of course.” Yuri stepped forward and planted a kiss on his lips just to keep him calm. “Don’t stress, okay? She’s got a friend now. That’ll make a big difference.”

            Otabek nodded and gave Yuri a peck back before he pulled away. “I’ll see what we can do tomorrow.”

**

            Practice was a grind. Yuri was practicing nonstop to try and get to a point where quads wouldn’t be a risk while Otabek did the same to meet those new little elements that could carry him if he mastered it. It was tough because Yuri needed to help him learn it all, which gave him less time of his own to practice and he was more than happy to help Otabek, but it did stress him out.

            “I’m sorry.” Otabek winced. “Can you show me just one more time? I-I really don’t mean to take so much of your time away, I just-“

            “It’s fine, this is what we’re here for.” Yuri said, burying his annoyance and taking a deep breath, even pressing a kiss to Otabek’s cheek to try and keep him from catching on. He skated back for some distance then moved forward, taking a back counter into a triple axel and coming right out into a spread eagle before connecting steps. “Got it?” He breathed, skating back to Otabek.

            Otabek bit his lip.

            “What are you still missing?”

            “Uh, what’s the step right out of the spread eagle again?”

            “Babe.” Yuri sighed. “Look, spread eagle out of it then turn, Choctaw, turn, Mohawk. Alright?”

            “Sorry.” Otabek swallowed. “Yeah, I got it.”

            Yuri bit the inside of his cheek and cocked his head for Otabek to give it another shot, skating back to give him room while he watched. Yakov was busy with Mila on the other end of the rink, so he needed to be the one to coach Otabek right then. Otabek managed the back counter entry, went into the spread eagle after the jump, but seemed to forget what he was doing after the first turn and just put some random steps together, blushing when he stopped and looked over at Yuri.

            “It’s really hard to remember when I have to focus so much on that entry.” He huffed, running a hand through his hair. “How do you do that so easily?”

            “I don’t know, it’s just kind of natural.”

            Otabek rolled his eyes.

            “What?”

            “Nothing.” He turned to crack his back then went to try the jump again, turning out of the landing this time and missing the connecting steps again. “Fuck.” Otabek glared, shaking each leg out to try and loosen up the soreness.

            “Beka, I really need to practice.”

            “Just go, I’ll get it on my own.” Otabek said, his shoulders slumped and his eyebrows pushed together. Ugh, Yuri didn’t know what he was supposed to do. He was no help when he was stressed himself and he needed to practice, but Otabek obviously still didn’t have the steps down.

            “I mean, it’s fine. I can help you for a little while longer.”

            “You don’t have to.”

            “But if you need it, I-“

            “I don’t want you to help me when you’re annoyed with me. I know that you’re better than me, I just… I-I don’t have the natural talent like you do and I need a lot more coaching, okay? You make me feel bad for that when you’re like this.” Otabek took a deep breath and skated back to make another attempt, leaving Yuri to watch him with his stomach tightened.

            Shit, he really didn’t mean to make Otabek feel insecure like that. He knew how much harder Otabek had to work than him to achieve the same results.

            Otabek missed the landing entirely that time and fell hard onto his hip, cursing and lying back on the ice when he hit it.

            “Shit, are you okay?” Yuri said on instinct, rushing forward to kneel down next to him. “Did you-“ He stopped talking when he saw the tears welling up in Otabek’s eyes. Those weren’t just from falling. “Beka… I didn’t mean to make you feel bad, I’m just stressed about getting my program changes together.”

            “I’m gonna blow this, Yuri.” Otabek said, eyes glued to the ceiling as he laid on the ice. “I’m gonna be the one who fucks it up. We’re gonna lose so much because of me.”

            “Don’t say that.”

            “You’re so fucking good at everything, fuck. I should be able to do this, I practice just as much as you do and I’m older, why am I just fucking inept?” Otabek sat himself up and brushed the ice off of his shirt.

            “Beka, we’ll just work harder. Look, forget what I said. I’ll help you practice as long as you need it okay? You’re an amazing skater, don’t be so hard on yourself.” Yuri got back on his feet and held his hand out for Otabek.

            “I don’t want you to get annoyed with me. It’s gonna be like ten more tries before I get it.”

            “That’s fine then. Let’s do ten more.” Yuri shrugged, smiling when Otabek took his hand. He pulled him up and tugged him into a hug when he was back on his feet, pressing his cheek into Otabek’s shoulder. “I’m sorry for being impatient. We’ll run through it as many times as you need it.”

            Otabek softened and hugged him back, pressing a kiss to the top of Yuri’s head like he always did.

            “You know what I think would help?”

            “What?” Otabek said as he pulled away, dusting a little more of the ice shavings off of his leggings.

            “Well you’re really good at this choreography stuff when we do our ice dance, yeah? Sync it up with me. I think it’ll help if we go at the same time.”

            “Oh. Yeah, that would actually help a lot.”

            “Great, let’s go then.” Yuri smiled, getting up on his toe pick to plant a kiss on Otabek’s lips. “If you mess up, we’ll just do it again.”

            They moved back together and Yuri guided him, both of them going into the jump at close to the same time. They landed next to each other and Otabek got through the right steps, stumbling a little bit as he tried to remember, but having Yuri doing it next to him seemed to help.

            “See? You’re getting it.” Yuri said, determined to make up anything he’d done to hurt Otabek’s confidence. “Do you want me to help you with that spiral we’re adding?”

            “Shit, uh.” Otabek laughed. “Yuri, I really don’t think I can do that. I can barely do a catch foot with my flexibility.”

            “If you work on it hard enough, you can do it by the finals. Just try and see how high you can get your leg without falling, yeah?”

            “Don’t laugh at me.”

            “I’m not gonna laugh at you.” Yuri insisted. “Just let me see where you’re at.”

            Otabek blushed a little, but nodded, backing up before he skated off and leaned forward, bringing his leg up halfway up behind him into a brief spiral before he started to wobble and brought it back down. “See?”

            “You’re fine, we just need to work on stretching you out some more.”

            “How are we gonna do that?”

            “Off ice training.” Yuri shrugged. “I’ll help you.”

            “Really? I mean that’s a lot of work for you and you have your own stuff, I just-“

            “Beka, I want to.” He moved forward and wrapped his arms around Otabek’s waist again. Yuri hated whenever he let his head get too big. He didn’t mean to, he just forgot sometimes how much more effort Otabek had to put in than he did. “We’ll have you doing a split by the finals.”

            “Thank you.” Otabek breathed, his hand pressing into the small of Yuri’s back. “Sorry for snapping at you, I just-“

            “It’s fine. I was being a dick.” Yuri kissed him on the jaw and nuzzled his nose against the spot. “Look, I need your help too okay? My quad lutz sucks.”

            “It doesn’t suck.” Otabek laughed. “I can help you. Focus on your knee bend when you land.”

            “Can you show me?”

            “Okay now you’re just faking it.” Otabek smiled, reaching up to push Yuri’s hair back behind his ears. “It’s sweet though. You want to fuck again in the showers after this?”

            “Oh.” Yuri blinked. “Yeah? I-I mean, yeah. Yes. Please.”

            “Okay.” Otabek laughed again and took Yuri’s hand, so he could twirl him around a little. “Let’s work on your stuff for a while.”

**

            They didn’t get around to calling Mara’s teacher, but they got a lot done at practice without getting into a fight. They spent an hour off the ice, Yuri coaching Otabek on some flexibility exercises. He really didn’t have as far to go as he thought he did. He could almost get into a split without hurting himself and if he spent an hour or more every day working on just flexibility, he’d be able to get there. The more Otabek’s artistry improved, the more likely he was to make it on that final podium. He was a technical monster, so if he got all these little things, he’d be a shoo in.

            “I have literally never felt my groin be sore before.” Otabek mumbled from the mat they’d been practicing on. “What are you doing to me?”

            “You’re doing great.” Yuri grinned, crawling over him to nuzzle their noses together. “Hey think of all the crazy sex positions we can do if you get flexible. We can pull off some Kamasutra shit.”

            “Ew.” Otabek snickered, wrapping his arms around Yuri’s neck and leaning up to kiss both of his cheeks. “Thanks for being so patient with me. We can focus on you tomorrow, okay?”

            “Sure, but we’re gonna do this stretching stuff every day alright? We’ll do it at the apartment on the days we’re not practicing.”

            “Okay.” Otabek smiled and pulled Yuri down against him, so he could squeeze. “You know it means a lot to me how fast you adjust when something hurts my feelings. I don’t want to sound all soft and mushy, but it really does make me feel happy to be with you.”

            “Well yeah, I never want to hurt your confidence, Beka. I mean, you’re right that I have a lot of natural talent, but that was kind of luck you know? You’re an amazing skater and you did it with nothing but hard work. I never want you to think you’re bad just because you need more practice than me.”

            “And you’re sweet for always reassuring me of that.” Otabek slid his hands down Yuri’s sides and held his hips. “The rink’s empty and we don’t have to get Mara from Victor for another hour. You want to do it here?”

            “Are we having too much sex?”

            “I think about that a lot and I think the answer is no.” Otabek laughed as he slid one hand down further to Yuri’s ass. “Not as long as we still want to do it.”

            “Good because I’d literally jump off a cliff before turning down sex with you.”

            “Really? What if I was asking you to rim me or some shit?”

            “Beka, I’ve literally rimmed you.”

            “What?” Otabek frowned. “No you haven’t, we’ve never-“ He stopped mid-sentence and put a hand over his mouth.

            “Yup.”

            “Holy shit, Valentines Day like two years ago.”

            “Yeah and you liked it too.” Yuri teased, rolling his hips against Otabek’s before sliding down. “Pull my hair when you’re close.”

**

            “Beka, come on. You’ve gotta sleep.”

            “But we have so much shit to do.” Otabek sighed, sitting up in bed with their wedding binder in his lap. “How are we going to plan the wedding? We can barely figure out how to make time to meet with Mara’s teacher. Victor’s already picking her up from school half the week.”

            “Baby, I know you don’t want to hear it, but if time’s so scarce right now, I’d rather postpone some wedding planning and get you into that therapy session.”

            “I don’t have time for that anymore.” Otabek grimaced. “Wait until the finals are over and we have our next court date.”

            “That’s at least a month.” Yuri said as he crawled into bed beside him, closing the binder and setting it aside. “Look, we’re getting Mara from school tomorrow ourselves and bringing her back to practice. We’ll spend some time with her, do some wedding planning when we get home, and we’ll call her teacher, make an appointment. Got it?”

            “I guess.”

            “You’re too stressed.” Yuri snuggled into his side and pressed a loving little kiss to his cheek. “Try to relax for me, okay? I need my rock.”

            “Usually you’re the rock.” Otabek chuckled. “I’m kind of the mess around here, aren’t I?”

            “You’re stronger than you think.” Yuri said as he wrapped his arms around him. “I love you. Take deep breaths. Think about all the good things that are happening.”

            “Why are you such a fucking angel?” Otabek breathed, hugging him back and lying down to take Yuri with him. “Will you really feel better if I go to some therapy session?”

            Yuri nodded and slid his hand under the hem of his t-shirt to feel the skin there.

            “Okay.” He sighed. “I’ll find a time to do it.”

            “Thank you.” Yuri squeezed him. He was determined to keep everything together. The custody case, the finals, the wedding, Mara’s school situation. They could handle all of it if they just kept their heads straight. “We’ll get those steps down concrete tomorrow, okay? You’ll feel less stressed once you’re comfortable with all your program changes.”

            “I have no clue what I would do without you.” Otabek yawned, his hand drifting lazily down Yuri’s back. “When this is all over, I’m gonna take all of us on vacation. Seriously.”

            “Okay.” Yuri smiled as his eyes drifted shut. “Get some sleep.”

**

            Yuri didn’t know what was going on with him, but that night was nightmare after nightmare. He couldn’t get to sleep no matter how hard he tried and he felt horrible whenever he woke Otabek up. Fucking hell, he was supposed to be the rock here. How could he pull a ten hour practice without sleep and still get Mara to and from school?

            Waking up was hell. He took a cold shower to try and get a little alert, but he was so tired that he didn’t realize he’d dressed Mara in inside out clothes until they were heading out the door.

            Practice wasn’t much easier. His temper was short when he was tired and every fall made him want to scream and curse, but he kept it together. That’s what their job was for the next month, just keep it the fuck together, so he did. He was kind and patient when he helped Otabek practice. He kept his mouth shut when he fell on his own and kept going until it was time to break and pick Mara up from school. Otabek was nice enough to drive, but he nearly dozed off in the passenger seat on the way.

            The car line was long, so they opted to park and walk up to get her. She came running the moment she saw them, but not with her usual excitement. She was crying and her dress was all dirty. With any other kid, they’d assume they were just playing in the dirt or something, but not Mara. She loved her dresses.   

            “Whoa, Ladybug what happened?” Otabek cooed, picking her up and holding her tight. “Did someone hurt you?”

            “Casey p-pushed me.” She stuttered as she hid her face in Otabek’s neck.

            “When?”

            “N-Now.”

            “Just now?”

            She nodded. “When we were walking out.”

            Otabek glared and looked over at Yuri. “Come on, we’re going to see that teacher right now.”

            “Hm?” Yuri blinked. “Oh.” He glanced at Mara and bit his lip. “Shit, yeah. Let’s go.” He wasn’t fully absorbing just what was going on, but he shook his head to wake himself up and followed Otabek’s angry march through the campus. He couldn’t remember where the classroom was, but Otabek definitely did.

            “Fuck.” Otabek swore when they reached the classroom, jiggling the locked door knob. “How has she gone home before the kids are even picked up?”

            “Uh, I don’t know Beka. We’ll just have to call tomorrow.”

            “Tomorrow’s not good enough. Ugh, I’m sorry Mara.” Otabek sighed, rubbing her back as he turned around. “Hey Yuuri’s gonna watch you while we practice okay? He can buy you ice cream, or whatever you want from the concessions alright?”

            She just sniffled and Yuri felt like shit that they’d waited on this. Otabek was right. How were they going to protect her if they couldn’t see the teacher before Mara went to school tomorrow? He knew there was probably some solution, but his brain was too foggy to think about it much. They needed to get back on the ice.

            He could tell Otabek was wound up again as they drove back to the rink. He was tense and drumming his fingers on the wheel, knee jiggling every time they stopped. Yuri knew he should say something soothing, but he was half asleep.

            “Come on, Kiddo.” Yuri yawned when they got back to the rink, picking her up carefully and holding her close as they walked inside. Yuuri was waiting for them by the edge of the ice, Victor already out practicing on it.

            “Aw what happened?” Yuuri frowned as he walked up to them, holding his arms out to take her.

            Yuri handed her over and yawned. “Kids at school are being really shitty to her. We need to meet with the teacher, but she went home before we could talk to her.”

            “Unbelievable, right?” Otabek huffed. “I mean she was out of there like lightning.”

            “Mhm.” Yuri mumbled, sitting down to change back into his skates.

            “Yuri, do you need some coffee or something?” Yuuri frowned. “Really, you look tired.”

            “Just had a bad night. It’s fine. Can you get Mara something to eat and try to cheer her up a bit? We have to practice like three more hours.”

            “Yeah sure. Call out if you need something though, okay?”

            Yuri finished lacing up his skates and nodded, waving them off before standing up. He was going to ask why Otabek wasn’t changing shoes, but he noticed first that he was frowning at him. “What’s wrong?” He blinked.

            “Yuri, she’s crying. Don’t just pawn her off on Yuuri.”

            “Oh geeze.” Yuri sighed, running a hand over his face. “Sorry.”

            “It’s okay, it’s just…” Otabek shrugged his shoulders. “I’m worried about her, you know?”

            “Mhm.” He mumbled, glancing out at the ice while Otabek kept talking. Fuck, they had so much to do. He needed at least two hours to just drill his own changes, but Otabek needed his help too. They were going to end up being there all night, or have to cut it early to get Mara home and then feel like they were behind. This was starting to become way too much. His stomach felt sick and Otabek was still taking about something.

            “So we need to get on the phone with her first thing tomorrow, okay? Both of us. We’re gonna have to postpone the wedding planning stuff and I feel like we should leave early tonight, so let’s plan on staying late tomorrow. Are you listening?”

            “God Beka, please no more to do list.” Yuri sighed, rubbing his temples and squeezing his eyes shut. His heart was beating really fast and he couldn’t get it to slow down.

            “Oh.” Otabek swallowed. “Um… Sorry? There’s just a lot we need to do and I want to make sure you know it.”

            “I fucking know, okay? You rattle it off to me every five minutes.” Yuri groaned. Fuck, he didn’t want to be mean, but he needed quiet. His head was pounding in time with his heart and he felt really hot all of a sudden, like a fever was breaking.

            “Geeze, Yuri.” Otabek said, his voice wobbling a little. “I just… I-I didn’t do anything. I know you’re tired, but I’m just as stressed out as you are and we need to do all of this shit together, or-“

            Yuri couldn’t even hear what he was saying, he was just fucking mad now. He was mad that they had to do this crazy practice shit just because of the homophobic fucking government. He was mad that kids were so shitty to Mara for no reason. He was pissed that he was tired and he was pissed that Otabek couldn’t take the hint and just be fucking _quiet_. He still just wouldn’t stop fucking talking and he felt like he was about to explode if everything didn’t go quiet in the next two fucking seconds.

            “Are you going to talk to me or are you just going to stand there like that?” Otabek asked with wide eyes. “What the fuck is going on, what are you-“

            “Jesus fucking Christ, Otabek! Shut up!” Yuri snapped, his hands flying from his temples and balling into fists as he stood up. “Can you shut the fuck up for five seconds and let me fucking think, I can’t hear myself _think_!” His hands trembled as he yelled and he watched as Otabek’s face fell completely, his eyes widening and welling up with tears, his mouth quivering as he backed away from him in fear. Did he really just do that? Out loud? He hadn’t mean to scream, or curse, or anything, but it had slipped out and suddenly the heat was gone. The pain in his head subsided, but he was shaking. So was Otabek.

            “I’m sorry.” Otabek croaked, his hands trembling as they came up to cover his mouth. “I’ll shut up. I-I’ll be quiet, just stop yelling at me.”

            Yuri watched with his mouth open as Otabek muffled his sobs with his hand and felt his knees nearly go out from under him. He swore that he would never do this again. Not after that first time. He’d fucking promised. “Beka.” He swallowed, feeling his own eyes well up. “Beka, I swear to God I did not mean to do that, I-“ He stepped forward, reaching out to hold him, but Otabek flinched and stumbled back. He was shaking so hard that Yuri could see it from feet away. How the fuck had he snapped like that? “Beka please, I’m just so tired. I never meant to say that to you.” Yuri pleaded, putting a hand over his own mouth when he felt the sob rising in his chest.

            “Hey.” Victor’s voice said from behind him, a hand coming up to rest on his shoulder. “Why don’t you come back to my place for a little while and give him some space?”

            “Huh?” Yuri sniffled, wiping his eyes and glancing over at where Otabek was looking at him with more fear than he’d ever seen.

            “G-Go with him please.” Otabek hiccupped, his breath hitching between words as he looked far off to the side to avoid him, his chest rising and falling at a panicked pace. “Don’t come home tonight.”

            Yuri opened his mouth to beg, but Otabek turned fast on his heel and ran off towards the concessions where Mara and Yuuri were, luckily far enough out of ear shot.

            “Are you okay?” Victor asked when he was gone, stepping around to face Yuri. “Seriously.”

            “Fuck. No.” Yuri cried. It had been a long fucking time since he’d been upset enough to hug Victor, but this time he did it. He hugged him like his life depended on it as his breathing started to get faster and faster. “Victor, the mediation went so fucking bad. They attacked us for everything. They c-called us pedophiles just for taking care of Mara a-and Otabek might have PTSD, but he’s not getting the help he needs and Maras being fucking bullied. We have to win the finals, or we lose everything. I don’t know what to do. I can’t do it. I can’t do all of it and I just broke Beka’s heart.” He was bawling at this point, but he didn’t care. Everything felt over. Otabek had never asked him not to come home before. He’d never even slept on the couch.

            “Jesus Christ, Yuri.” Victor said, giving him a little squeeze back. “Hey, that’s insane. No one can handle all of that at once.”

            “But I have to.” Yuri choked. “I have to handle it. Beka’s the one that this is so hard on a-and-“

            “Yuri, you can not take all of this on your own. Is he making you?”

            “N-No, but he needs me and-“

            “ _Yuri_.” Victor said, pushing him back and holding him by the shoulders when he looked at him. “If you try to bear the weight of all this without talking to him when you feel overwhelmed, you’re going to hate him.”

            “What?” Yuri gulped, his chest still heaving. “N-No, I could never hate Beka. He’s the best thing that ever happened to me, h-he’s-“

            “I know that you love him, but you’re going to resent him if you keep this up. Why do you think you just lashed out like that? Come on, let’s get you to my place for a little while.”

            Yuri took a deep shaky breath and nodded his head, sitting down to take off his skates with his hands trembling. He took the rest of his stuff out of the duffel bag and piled it up in his arms while Victor put his regular shoes back on, leaving the bag for Otabek.

            “Come on.” Victor said, leading him out quickly before Otabek could see and Yuri would go rushing back over to try and apologize again. “Deep breaths. Try to just breathe.” He brought Yuri out to the parking lot and unlocked the car. “I’ll text Yuuri to call an Uber for himself when he’s ready to come home, or I’ll come back and pick him up.”

            Yuri just kept his mouth shut and dropped his stuff in the back seat, climbing into the passenger’s and curling up into a ball. He had to be the most evil person alive. What kind of a person yelled at their fiancé like that just for talking? Talking about important shit too that Yuri knew they needed to discuss and remind each other of constantly, so they wouldn’t stress out and forget. Not to mention that Otabek had fucking horrendous abuse trauma and PTSD and Yuri had literally just triggered all of it for no reason.

            He hated himself as Victor drove them away from the rink. Who was going to comfort Otabek now? The first time this had happened, it’d been a lot less horrible on Yuri’s part, so they’d been able to talk and Yuri was able to hold him, comfort him until he calmed down. Yuuri could do his best, but no one knew how to calm Otabek down except for him. He couldn’t even breathe through his tears. Would Otabek even want him after this?

            “You can take the guest room tonight. We’ll stay up with you though.” Victor said when he lead Yuri up to the apartment. “Code Grandpa, yeah?”

            “Yeah.” Yuri choked, wiping his eyes again.

            Victor took him inside and cocked his head towards the couch, Yuri taking a seat while he went to pour them some wine. “It’ll be fine, alright? Take some space tonight. Tomorrow, you’ll talk it out.”

            “I-I don’t think he’ll want to see me tomorrow.”

            “I know why you think that, but trust me.” Victor laughed a bit as he sat down next to him and handed him one of the wine glasses. “He loves you more than life itself. He’s not gonna keep you away.”

            “How would you know?”

            “I do talk to him when you’re not around you know.”

            “Huh?” Yuri took a sip of the wine and sighed, the trembling in his hands starting to ease a bit. “I know.”

            “Yuri, Otabek thinks that you’re like an angel.” Victor said, taking a sip himself. “He didn’t think you were gonna stay when he adopted Mara and when you did, it was like a whole new level. I mean he loved you before, but it multiplied like ten fold. He texts me every single time you do something cute with her, or you go out of your way to do something nice for him.”

            “Really?” Yuri’s mouth quivered. “That just makes me feel worse. He’s the sweetest guy on the planet and I treated him like shit.”

            “Don’t think of it like that. Think about how much he loves you, yeah? He’s not going to kick you out because of one fight. You just need to talk to him about how you feel.”

            “He’s even more stressed than I am, how is it going to help to blame this on stress?”

            “I know you think he has it worse because of his anxiety, but he’s not the one who snapped, yeah?” Victor kicked his feet up on the coffee table. “He’ll understand. I mean, be apologetic of course, but make sure he understands why it happened.”

            “Fuck.” Yuri set his glass down and laid down on the sofa, curled up in fetal position, so Victor had room and so he could hold himself a little bit. He hated this. He wanted Otabek more than ever to hold him and kiss his forehead, tell him everything was alright and rub his back under his shirt like he did when Yuri had a bad day, or just needed a little extra love. His eyes welled up again just thinking about all those little things Otabek did for him. “I feel like a monster.” The worst part was that Otabek didn’t get mad. He apologized like it was his fault that Yuri was taking his anger out on him, or like he deserved it. He shut his eyes in the hope he could just fall asleep, but the doorknob turned and he jumped up. “Yuuri?”

            “Hey guys.” He said when he walked in, kicking his shoes off and hanging his jacket.

            “Does he hate me?” Yuri choked, fresh tears already welling up just at the possibilities of those answers.

            “Um… Being honest, his feelings are really hurt.”

            “Do I need to leave him alone? Should I call him tonight? I-I don’t want to leave him on his own for tomorrow. He can’t handle getting Mara to school a-and the teacher meeting and practice all by himself after this.”

            “He’s not gonna practice tomorrow. Let him handle school, then go over to talk to him I think.” Yuuri came over and took a seat in the arm chair by the couch, pushing his glasses on top of his head. “I think he’ll be okay for the night. He has to pull it together for Mara, you know? So he will. He’s strong like that.”

            “I’m the worst person in the world.” Yuri groaned, doubling over and holding his head in his hands. “I-I need to crash. I can’t think anymore. Can I take the guest room?”

            “Yeah of course.” Yuuri said and Victor nodded in agreement.

            “Um…” His mouth wobbled. “Do you guys have something I could sleep in?”

            Victor got up and squeezed Yuri’s shoulder on the way to their bedroom. “I’ll grab you something. Holler if you need anything else.”

**

            Yuri was already sleep deprived, so he knocked out pretty fast, but set an alarm to get up early. He needed a shower badly, but Otabek was definitely done dropping off Mara by the time he woke up, so he pulled on his clothes from the day before and left a thank you note on the coffee table for Victor and Yuuri.

            He felt like he was going to throw up when he climbed into a cab, his stomach empty and queasy as he rode to their apartment building. He hoped Otabek had gotten some sleep and had something for breakfast. When he didn’t eat, he got anxious.

            Yuri stared at the number on their apartment door for nearly five minutes when he arrived. What could he say that would fix how horrible he must have made Otabek feel? Finally he just couldn’t take not knowing whether or not he was okay and knocked, hugging himself as he waited for an answer.

            Otabek’s eyes were red when he opened the door, the tip of his nose too. “Are you mad still?”

            “What?” Yuri blinked, his heart aching at the broken tone of his voice. “Beka, no I’m not mad. I’m just here to tell you how sorry I am a-and I wanted to see if you were okay… Are you?”

            Otabek swallowed a lump in his throat and stepped back to let him in.

            “Beka, I never meant to talk to you like that.” Yuri said when the door shut. “I’ll do anything to make it up to you. You didn’t do anything wrong it was just that everything started to pile up all at once a-and my heart started going crazy, I couldn’t breathe right, my head was hurting. I didn’t mean to yell at you. It was horrible and it was wrong and it’s never going to happen again, ever. I just want you to know that-“

            “You had a panic attack?”

            “Huh?”

            “You had a panic attack.” Otabek said, more as a statement that time and he took a step closer to him. “Your stomach got all weird and your knees felt kind of weak and you just wanted to close your eyes, yeah?”

            “Yeah.” Yuri breathed. “Is that um… Is that how it is for you?”

            Otabek nodded and scratched the back of his head. “Yuri, I thought you were going to hit me.”

            “Really?” Yuri’s heart just about broke. “Beka, you know I would never, ever do something like that.”

            “I know, but when you scream like that, it just… I mean I feel exactly like I’m back at home, like I’m about to get the shit beat out of me or something.”

            “I’m so sorry. I don’t even know what to say that’ll tell you how horrible I feel. You didn’t do anything wrong at all, I just got so overwhelmed. I mean, I get so worried about you being anxious that I try to be kind of a rock for you, but yesterday, fuck. Yesterday I just lost it and I don’t know how to make this right to you.” A tear had managed to break away, but Yuri reached up and brushed it off before it could get too far. “I hate myself for making you scared like that.”

            “It’s okay.” Otabek sighed, running a hand through his hair. “All of this pressure is killing us. You’ve been trying to take too much of it on.”

            “That doesn’t excuse what I did.”

            “It doesn’t.” Otabek said. “But I know you and I know how shitty you feel about it and I know that the circumstances right now are fucking insane. It’s not like I haven’t had panic attacks and yelled at you before.”

            “It’s still never going to happen again.” Yuri swallowed, welling up as he stepped forward to close the gap between them. “Beka, I love you so much. I-If you can forgive me for this, I swear to God, I’ll work so hard to make it up to you. Anything.”

            Otabek smiled a little bit and just pulled him into a hug, squeezing him tight and kissing his head like Yuri had been dying for the past twelve hours. “I don’t want you to work. I want us to fucking relax, okay? We’ve been killing ourselves.”

            “Fuck.” Yuri cried, clinging to him like his life depended on it. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”

            “I’m so tired of fighting.” Otabek said as he held him. “No more, okay? Stop trying to take everything on yourself. Talk to me like you’re always telling me to do.”

            Yuri nodded and pulled back, wiping his eyes, but more tears kept coming. “I-I’m sorry, I just, I-I thought I might lose you and I feel so horrible still for hurting you and I-I really don’t know how to make it up, I-“

            “Yura, hey.” Otabek cooed, bringing both his hands up to hold his face. “Breathe. Deep breaths, nice and slow. Do what you tell me to do.”

            Yuri hiccupped once then did what he was told, taking deep slow breaths. Otabek reached up and brushed the tears off of his cheeks, kissing the wet spots where they’d been.

            “Seeing you like this is seriously all the reassurance I need, okay? You don’t cry like this.” Otabek said, tucking Yuri’s hair back behind his ear. “Come on, let’s go lie down.”

            Yuri grabbed his hand and held it tight, letting Otabek lead him to their room.

            “Come here.” Otabek laid down on top of the comforter and held his arms open for Yuri to crawl into. “We’re okay.” He whispered when another whimper forced its way out of Yuri’s lips.

            He felt stupid for crying so much, but Yuri couldn’t remember another time he felt so bad. He was more relieved than ever now to have Otabek still with him. “I love you.” He sniffled.

            “I know.” Otabek said in that kind voice he always adopted when Yuri cried, stroking his back as he spoke. “Keep breathing. It’ll pass.”

            Yuri hadn’t noticed he was shaking until Otabek said that and he shut his eyes, breathing deeply as he let Otabek hold him.

            “You okay?”

            He nodded.

            “We need to do something to ease all of this pressure.” Otabek sighed. “We can’t keep this up.”

            “I don’t know what to do.” Yuri swallowed, sliding up a little to hide his face in Otabek’s neck. “Did you talk to the teacher?”

            ‘”I couldn’t get a hold of the teacher, but I talked to a guidance counselor. It sounds like they’re handling it, so I feel a lot better now.”

            “Good.” Yuri breathed. “Fuck, I was worried sick about her going to school today.”

            “Me too. Look um, I think we should go to therapy together. Not like couples therapy, just together, so we can try to deal with everything a little bit better. Are you okay with that?”

            “Yeah, of course. We’ll just have to miss time for practice or time with Mara to do it, but at this point, I think it’s more important that we go.” Yuri squeezed him then pulled away a little just so he could lift up and look him in the eyes. “Are you sure you don’t hate me? I mean you have every right to be furious and you don’t have to take me back so quickly.”

            “Yuri.” Otabek sat up and reached over to put a hand on his cheek. “I love you, okay? Neither of us is perfect and it’s not your fault that the way I react to yelling is so much more extreme than other people. I know you didn’t mean it, I know that you’re under an insane amount of pressure, and I know that you still love me, yeah? That’s all I need.”

            Yuri’s mouth quivered and Otabek leaned in to kiss him, pressing their lips together in the most warm and comforting embrace he could possibly ask for. Yuri’s arms flew up and wrapped around his shoulders as he leaned forward to deepen the kiss, curling his tongue around Otabek’s and gasping into his mouth. “Beka.” He whimpered between kisses, pushing him onto his back and kissing him again with just as much tongue.

            Otabek’s hand slid up into Yuri’s hair and held him close, sucking on his lower lip while his other hand slid down to the small of Yuri’s back, pressing him even closer.

            “I love you.” Yuri choked when they broke to breathe. “Beka, I love you so much.”

            “I know Baby, I know. I love you too.” Otabek breathed before pulling him back into a kiss and hooking his leg up over Yuri’s hip, pressing himself up against him while Yuri pushed down.

            Their teeth clacked, but neither of them cared. They needed to be closer.

            Yuri panted when they parted again and yanked his shirt off over his head, sighing and rolling his hips when Otabek’s hands came to his chest. “Beka.”

            Otabek sat up and held Yuri against him, dragging his mouth down his neck and nipping at the skin until he gasped and his cock started to harden against his leggings. “Can I fuck you?” He mumbled against his neck, sucking a hickey onto his collar while Yuri whimpered for him.

            “Yes, please fucking do that.” Yuri sighed, his head tipping back as Otabek left mark after mark on him. “I need that. I-I need you.”

            Otabek flipped their position and pinned Yuri on his back, crawling over him to share another deep kiss before he kissed all the way down his chest to his naval to pull Yuri’s leggings and underwear down to his thighs.

            “Ah!” Yuri gasped, back arching up off the comforter when Otabek’s mouth sunk down on his erection, his tongue sliding up and down against his length until it stopped and swirled around his tip. “Bekaaaa.” He whined. “Don’t, I’ll cum.”

            Otabek’s hand slid up his side back to his nipple and Yuri cried out, one hand pushing into Otabek’s hair to grab it and one hand covering his mouth as he pushed his hips up to meet with Otabek’s mouth.

            Yuri tugged hard on Otabek’s hair to warn him until he finally took the hint and pulled off, sitting back on his heels as he pulled his shirt off. He stretched to the nightstand drawer and dug out the lube, bending back down to kiss the insides of Yuri’s thighs.

            “Oh my God.” Yuri breathed, his chest rising and falling as Otabek slicked his fingers up and started to stretch him out. He’d been taking this for granted. Otabek was amazing in bed. He was so fucking attentive and focused and loving, Yuri just melted in his hands. By the time Otabek finished stretching him and stripped himself down, tugging Yuri’s leggings off from around his knees, their hearts were racing. “Nnn, Beka.” He whimpered when Otabek laid over him and pushed in.

            “Good?”

            Yuri nodded and wrapped his arms around Otabek’s shoulders, so he could hide his face in his neck as they moved together, Yuri pressing back while Otabek pressed forward. He needed this. He needed to be fully reminded that Otabek loved him even if he messed up and feeling him so deep inside him really just did the trick. Tears leaked out of his eyes just from sheer relief as he cried out again and again from Otabek’s thrusts.

            “Look at me Yura.” Otabek huffed, waiting for Yuri to pull back a little before leaning their foreheads together and pressing in as deep as he could, staying there and rolling his hips until Yuri moaned, loud and desperate with little to no control. “I fucking love you. No matter what, okay? You’re my life.”

            Yuri took one hand away to wipe his eyes then crashed their lips together as they geared up to finish, Otabek picking his pace up again and Yuri pushing right back against him. Yuri came with a sob, his whole body tensing against Otabek as he clung to him and released into his hand and against his stomach. The tightening and the sound was enough to send Otabek over the edge too. He bucked in deep and came with his tongue in Yuri’s mouth, letting him swallow his moans until he’d finished completely and collapsed over him.

            “I never want to fight like that again.” Otabek breathed as he caught his breath, nuzzling his nose against Yuri’s and pressing a line of lazy kisses down his jaw and neck. “No more hurting each other.”

            “Never again.” Yuri nodded, hugging Otabek against him. “You really forgive me?”

            “You’d forgive me.” Otabek reached down to pull out then snuggled into Yuri’s side. “It’s okay.”

            “I’m so lucky to have you.”

            They laid like that for a long time, staying naked and vulnerable, holding each other and sharing a few more kisses.

            “You know what sounds really good right now?” Yuri smiled. “Bubble bath.”

            “Oh fuck. Yeah, let’s go do that.” Otabek kissed his cheek then pulled away, cocking his head towards the bathroom.

            They went all out on that bubble bath, pouring in some of their best salts and oils, way too much of the bubble stuff, so the whole thing was foaming. Otabek climbed in first, so Yuri could sit between his legs and be held. Things felt a little normal again. Otabek kept tickling him just to hear him laugh and Yuri kept trying to give him a bubble beard until he’d blow it off and start kissing him.

            They washed each others hair, took turns massaging all of that tension out of their shoulders until they got out and ordered some pizza.

            “I feel better.” Yuri smiled as he snuggled into Otabek on the sofa, an empty pizza box on the coffee table and a movie on the TV. Otabek was all warm from the bath and his t-shirt was soft. Yuri just wanted to burrow into him forever.

            “Me too, Baby.” Otabek said in a soft voice, using the pet name just to make Yuri feel extra reassured. “You know Mara was asking for you like all night? She missed you.”

            “Really?”

            “Yeah and her hair was kind of a mess this morning.” He laughed. “We really need you around here.”

            That made Yuri’s heart warm and he tucked his head into the crook of Otabek’s neck. “If you want to, we can go get a little practice in still. We can bring her to the rink again. I don’t want falling behind to make you feel more stressed.”

            “We probably should.” Otabek sighed. “Let’s take it easy today though. We need to have fun or something.”

            “Sure thing.” Yuri planted a kiss on Otabek’s cheek then pulled away to go change and grab their skates. “We’ll work on whatever you want, yeah?” He said as he walked back out with the duffel bag. “And we’ll let Mara skate around on her own a little. She’s getting good.”

            “She really is, isn’t she?” Otabek grinned, getting up and toeing his shoes on. “Let’s see if I can get the half spiral today.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Thanksgiving! Next chapter will come by next Tuesday I'm hoping!


	15. Chapter Fifteen - Memories

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aight being real hold on to your hats folks

            Otabek was finally getting the hang of the choreography changes. It was really just a matter of memory and now that he understood what he had to do, everything was a lot cleaner. He was really helpful with Yuri’s jump composition too. They practiced a few throw jumps just so Yuri could drill nothing but landing and he gave him a lot of tips to clean up his lutz. Practice felt fun again too. Otabek picked him up when he fell and vice versa. Yuri knew Otabek’s program almost as well as he did, so he performed it side by side with him to touch up all those little presentation bullet points.

            “You’re doing so much better. Seriously. It looks beautiful.” Yuri said when they came out of one of Otabek’s step sequences, skating up to him and pulling him into a short kiss. “I’ll help you with your arm motions, yeah? It’s just timing.”

            “Thank you.” Otabek smiled, leaning his forehead against Yuri’s. “Hey, I know that fight was pretty bad, but I’m glad it happened alright? We needed to get that out and find a healthier way to deal with all this.” He nuzzled their noses together and brought one hand up to hold Yuri’s cheek. “I’m gonna make us an appointment while Mara’s at school tomorrow. Sound good?”

            “Sounds great.” Yuri grinned. He couldn’t describe how happy he felt just knowing things were okay after how scary that night without him had been. “You want go to do our stretch routine? We need to loosen your hips up a lot more.”

            “I can think of some way kinkier ways to do that.”          

            Yuri rolled his eyes and took Otabek’s hand, so he could lead him off the ice to the practice room. “How about we do that stuff when you’re able to get your leg halfway up?”

            “Ooh, good motivation.” Otabek teased as they stepped off the ice and took off their skates. “We’ll go get Mara in an hour.”

            Yuri shut the door behind them in the practice room and laid the blue mat out. Now that he thought about it, he’d be a pretty kick ass yoga instructor. Maybe that could be his fall back career. Or a ballet teacher. “Do you think I’m too short tempered to be a teacher or anything?”

            “Huh?” Otabek asked as he stretched down to touch his toes. “What? Like kids?”

            Yuri perked up. Teaching dance, or skating to little kids. He used to think he’d hate something like that, but now it felt like he could be really goo. He was great with Mara and teaching her stuff like that. “Kind of. Like teaching skating, or teaching dance, or something. I don’t know, I was just thinking about how much I like guiding you through your flexibility training and teaching Mara to skate.” He walked onto the mat and dropped into a split. “Here, just go as far down as you can then we’ll pulse that out.”

            Otabek nodded and lowered himself down a few inches shy of the floor.

            “Aw, you’re getting better.” Yuri laughed. “Put the weight on your hands, just pulse up and down to stretch it out.”

            “Sometimes I think you just do this exercise so you can look at my dick in these pants.”

            “That’s one of many reasons.” Yuri said as he reached up to tie his hair back. “What do you think about putting Mara in ballet? She could be a really amazing skater one day if we guide her in the right ways. I mean if she doesn’t like it, we’ll just take her out, but do you think that’d be good for her? She could make friends.”

            “Hm.” Otabek sat back down and pulled his ankles together to stretch forward and reach. “I mean I’m kind of worried about giving her body image issues. Ballet and skating both kind of drill that into you and she’s a little on the chubby side.”

            “Aw, that’s just baby fat.”

            “I know, but I want her to be confident, you know?”

            “Well…” Yuri bit his lip. “What if we put her in Minako’s class? She moved her studio up here a year ago and she doesn’t have a ton of students. We’d be helping her out and she’s crazy with the body positivity stuff.”

            “That might be good. Yeah.” Otabek shrugged as he pulled back. “I mean how did you avoid the eating disorder route?”

            “Eh. My grandpa just always made me eat and I was naturally kind of skinny, so I didn’t feel that pressure as much. You?”

            “Just kind of bulked up. Have to eat to do that.”

            Yuri stretched forward and laid down flat on his stomach, keeping his legs in the split as he propped his head up on his hands and smiling up at him. “So I can put her in ballet class?”

            “Well I think the more she has going on here, the better off we are for the custody case. It’s not gonna be easy getting her to and from a bi-weekly class though.”

            “I’ll do it. We’ll make it work.” He arched his back and moved upward to get a little bit more of a stretch.

            “How the fuck are you _that_ flexible?” Otabek laughed. “It’s not human.”

            “Wait, wait, I can do even more.” Yuri said as he reached back and grabbed his foot, raising his calf up to stretch that too.

            “That’s just gross.”

            “Aw you like it.” Yuri said, pushing himself back up and bringing his legs together. “Now put your feet against mine, let’s stretch you some more.”

**

            Mara was over the moon to see Yuri after school. She came running right to him and Yuri laughed a little at how Otabek had done her hair, taking it down and putting it in a pony tail for her when they got in the car. He sat in the back with her when he saw her getting a little bit antsy.

            “Was everyone nice to you today?” He asked, running his hand over her hair to smooth out some fly aways.

            “Yeah. Anna played with me.”

            “No one pushed you or anything?”

            She shook her head.

            “Aw good. Hey, we had an idea for you.” Yuri smiled before pressing a kiss to her little head. “You know we have a friend that runs a ballet class, do you want to do that? If you don’t like it, you can quit, but you can try it out if you want to.”

            “I can be a ballerina?”

            “Yeah Kiddo.” Yuri grinned. “You want to?”

            She flashed that crazy wide little kid smile and nodded. “Yeah!”

            “Cool, we’ll get you some ballet shoes and stuff.”

            They got back to the rink and spent some time skating around with Mara, so she wouldn’t feel neglected. That was the worst part of all the extra practice time. They hated spending less time with her.

            “Okay, you ready? We’re right here to catch you.” Otabek cooed as he and Yuri stood on either side of her.

            Mara gave him a little nod and Otabek put his hands on her shoulders to spin her around a little bit before he let go and let her do it on her own. Yuri held his hands out, prepared to catch her, but she stayed up and spun all on her own. It was on two feet, but he was amazed she was even able to do that.

            Otabek grabbed her when she started to wobble and beamed when he picked her up. “Mara, that was amazing! You’re really good at this, you know that?” He kissed both of her cheeks. “I’m so proud of you. We’ll keep practicing, okay?”

            She giggled in response and Otabek set her back down.

            “Remember, it’s okay to fall.” Yuri said, giving her small shoulder a little squeeze. “You ready to go with Mila for a little bit? You can just call us over if you need us, yeah?”

            She nodded and let Yuri pick her up. They took her to Mila at the edge of the ice and thanked her for watching Mara again before they skated off to practice.

            They didn’t stay too long, anxious to get home and be with Mara, but they grinded out Otabek’s choreography and practiced hard for a few hours before heading home to try and relax. It was getting cold out, so they all changed into warm pajamas and snuggled up on the couch with Disney channel on.

            Otabek made dinner and Yuri did the cleaning, so they wouldn’t have to worry about it tomorrow before giving Mara her bath and getting her to sleep on time.

            “I’m kind of nervous for therapy tomorrow.” Otabek said when they crawled into bed, spooning Yuri and nuzzling his nose against his hair.

            “It’s fine, Beka. I’ll be right there.” Yuri yawned. “We’ll do it together.”

            “Okay.” He sighed, tightening his arms around Yuri. “Are you warm enough?”

            Yuri smiled and nodded, leaning back into his touch. “Yeah. Sleep tight, Beka.”

**

            “Beka, there’s nothing to be nervous about. You’re just going to talk. I’ll be right there.” Yuri cooed as they sat in the waiting room the next day. They’d found the new therapist online. She was young and she specialized in childhood abuse and sexual trauma, so it seemed like a good fit. Otabek was still stressed though and Yuri didn’t know how to soothe him really.

            “Sorry, I just hate talking about all this stuff and what if they medicate me?” Otabek sighed. “Could that affect skating?”

            “Don’t worry about that unless we get there.” Yuri said, kissing him on his forehead. “It’ll be okay.”

            A woman with long dark hair stepped out into the waiting room. For a moment, Yuri just thought she was a patient. She was dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, but she waved at them and walked right over. “Yuri and Otabek?”

            “Hm?” Otabek blinked. “Yeah, are you-“

            “Yeah, I’m the doctor.” She laughed. “We like to keep things comfortable here. Follow me back to my room, do you want anything to eat or drink?”

            “O-Oh no, we’re fine.” Otabek said as they got up and followed her back.

            Her room was pretty cozy. There was a big sofa and a desk, a lot like the other doctor’s, but without all the little kid stuff.

            Yuri sat down and pulled Otabek with him, holding his hand tight while the therapist took a seat opposite of them. She didn’t have notes, or anything, she just crossed her legs and leaned back.

            “So why don’t you break down a little bit why you came here?”

            “Um…” Otabek swallowed and looked over at Yuri. “C-Can you just um…”

            “Yeah.” Yuri nodded, squeezing his hand just to reassure him before he turned towards her to explain. “His dad physically abused him for his whole life, like, hitting, sometimes with belts, or other stuff. He didn’t like that Beka was gay, so he beat him until he moved out, which separated him from his little sister. There was this car crash a few months ago and his parents passed away, so he adopted his little sister and we’re in a custody dispute with his aunt over her now. We both took psych evals and Otabek’s showed signs of PTSD, so I thought he should come get some help in case that’s true.”

            “That’s… a lot.” She blinked. “Otabek, what did your dad usually do to you?”

            Otabek bit his lip and started to run his thumb in circles over the back of Yuri’s hand. “He’d scream at me a lot over made up things. I’d come home a few minutes late and he’d use that as an excuse to beat me. He’d say that I was probably out having sex with boys, or something crazy like that and he would hit me with his hands, or his belt, or like wooden spoons and stuff.”

            Yuri bit the inside of his cheek for the next few minutes while they went back and forth about details of the abuse. When Otabek got choked up, he kissed his head, rubbed his back, but he didn’t really know how to make this better. He hated seeing Otabek so torn up.

            “Do you ever have flashbacks?” She asked.

            “What do you mean?”

            “Like do you ever feel like you’re back in a scenario from your past where he hit you, or do you just get overwhelmed by memories alone enough to reach that panic attack level?”

            “Yeah.” Otabek nodded. “A lot actually.”

            “Do you remember the first time that he hit you?”

            “Uh, not really. I know I was little. Like seven? Maybe eight, I don’t know. I-I don’t think about it.”

            She frowned and uncrossed her legs, leaning forward with a look of much deeper concern on her face. “He knew you were gay by that age?”

            “Yeah, he seemed to always know.”

            “Otabek, I want you to tell me everything you can remember about that first time.”

            “I-I really don’t remember it, I-“

            “I want you to try.”

            Yuri felt Otabek tense much harder and his stomach started to turn. She looked worried in a way she hadn’t been before.

            “Um…” Otabek shifted a little, uncomfortable, and picked at a tear in his jeans. “I remember he came into my room when I was sleeping and woke me up? He yelled at me, I don’t know what he said. He slapped my face really hard.”

            “Uh huh.” She nodded. “Did he do anything else to you?”

            “I can’t remember. I-I was little, you know?”

            “Keep trying.”

            Otabek’s hand trembled a little in Yuri’s grip and he took it away, hiding his face in his hands as he tried hard to think.

            Yuri had a sense of where this was going and he didn’t like it. Not at all. He’d read a little about repressed memories and he was no expert, but what if his instinct was right about what Otabek might remember? He hoped to God he was wrong.

            “Otabek?” She asked.

            “U-Um…” Otabek lifted his face and his mouth wobbled. “I-I mean that can’t be right, right? I-I’m just imagining shit because of the trauma or something?”

            “What do you remember?”

            Otabek shook his head and Yuri could see he was starting to shake again, like _really_ shake. He could see it and he could feel it just by sitting close to him. “Y-Yuri, can you get me the trash can o-or something, I-I’m gonna…” He clamped a hand over his mouth and Yuri had seen Otabek with food poisoning often enough to take the hint. He jumped off the couch to grab the trash can from the doctor’s desk and got it to Otabek in time for him to puke.

            “I’m right here, Baby. I’m right here.” Yuri said, his own voice wobbling as he rubbed his back.

            “I’ll go get some water, I’ll be right back.” The doctor said as she rushed out and shut the door behind her.

            “Beka, talk to me.” Yuri said when he pulled up, setting the trash can aside. “What’s going on?”

            “H-He touched me I think.” Otabek choked. “I-It’s really blurry, b-but I remember how after he hit me, h-he held me down and…” His lips started to quiver, so he put a hand over his mouth again just as the doctor came back in to hand him a bottle of water. Otabek gulped half of it down, then set the bottle on the floor, grabbing Yuri’s hand again and squeezing like his life depended on it.

            “What are you seeing?” The therapist asked and Otabek choked out a sob, doubling over and keeping his hand over his mouth. “Take all the time you need.”

            Otabek couldn’t speak for a few minutes. He just cried and Yuri held him, cooing and trying his hardest not to cry himself. He eventually pulled together enough to loosely describe to her what he was remembering and she extended their session for free to two hours. Otabek didn’t stop trembling the entire time. He couldn’t remember clearly what happened, but he remembered bits and pieces. He remembered being touched there and after racking his brain, he was positive it was the only time it happened, but that didn’t help. Knowing it happened once was enough to destroy him and it explained why his dad had beat him so much. Even worse, he was afraid now that maybe it had happened to Mara.

            By the end of the session, there were two definitive conclusions. Otabek had been sexually abused and he was suffering from PTSD to a lower degree. When triggered, he could experience symptoms, but with treatment, the depression and anxiety that came with the condition shouldn’t be chronic. They left medication out of the question for the time being and decided the first step would be going through talk therapy to uncover anything else he may have repressed, so he could deal with and heal from it. The whole thing left him a wreck regardless.

            “No practice today, just rest. I’ll be right here.” Yuri said as he slid into bed with Otabek, the TV on low and the lights on. “Tell me anything you need okay?”

            “Fuck, Yura I’m sorry you have to deal with this now too. I’m sorry.” Otabek croaked and Yuri shook his head, leaning down to kiss the tear stains off of his cheeks.

            “Don’t apologize for something like this. You’re going through something awful and I’m gonna be here and I’m gonna take care of you. Got that?” Yuri kissed the tip of his nose next. “Whatever you need. If we have to stop having sex while you move through this, we’ll do that.”

            “M-Maybe just a break.”

            “Of course.” Yuri nodded. “I’ll handle Mara tonight, okay? What do you need from me?”

            “I-I’m gonna have nightmares tonight. Bad ones. Don’t leave me, okay?”

            “I won’t go anywhere.” Yuri assured him, running his hand through Otabek’s hair. “We’ll keep your mind off of it. Remember what she told you okay? Even though you’re just now remembering this, it’s still in the past. He’s still gone and he still can’t hurt you. You’re the same person you were yesterday.”

            Otabek sniffled and just rolled into Yuri’s side, hugging him and hiding his face in his neck. “I can’t stop thinking about it. H-How did I forget something like that? What else could be there that I don’t know about a-and what if he did it to Mara?”

            “Oh Beka.” Yuri breathed, rubbing his back and squeezing tight. “I’m so sorry. Look, that memory came right up just when you tried hard to think about it yeah? If there were more, they would have popped up when she had you think hard about the other incidents. It’s probably the only time. We’ll talk to Mara’s therapist and have her dig around a little too, okay? We’ll find out.”

            Otabek clung to him even tighter and Yuri’s heart just about broke. How much was Otabek going to have to go through before it stopped? No one deserved this, especially not someone so sweet and caring. He would do anything to just take it away.

            “Y-Yuri, I know this is a lot on you, so if it gets to be too much just tell me okay? Even when I’m hurting, I want you to tell me if you feel stressed, or upset, or anxious too.”

            “Do you ever think about yourself?” Yuri smiled, pressing a kiss to Otabek’s forehead. “Don’t worry about me.”

**

            Otabek stayed in bed and Yuri went to pick up Mara, setting her on the couch when he got back before asking her all about her day. He made a healthy snack real quick for her to eat then slipped into the kitchen to call Victor.

            “We just might need you guys’s help a little more than usual, yeah?” Yuri said, biting his lip as he watched Mara in the other room. “He’s like completely retraumatized, he still hasn’t stopped crying. We’re taking him back to therapy, but I don’t see him getting better any time soon. Just be super nice to him at practice and stuff okay? He needs all the positive attention he can get right now.” Yuri sighed in relief when Victor offered happily to help and thanked him a few times before hanging up and walking off to check on Otabek. “Beka?”

            “Hey.” He mumbled from the bed, curled up in a ball and ignoring the TV. “Did Mara have a good day?”

            “Yeah, she did.” Yuri smiled, sitting on the side of the bed and reaching over to run his hand through Otabek’s hair. “How are you feeling?”

            Otabek just shook his head.

            “I talked to Victor about what happened. They’re gonna help out all we need with Mara so you can go to therapy as much as you need.”

            “What?” Otabek frowned, sitting himself up and looking at Yuri with wide eyes. “You told him about this?”

            “Huh?” Yuri blinked, his stomach clenching. “Y-Yeah, he’s one of our best friends and we need some child care help with all this going on. He’s not going to judge you, or tell anyone besides Yuuri, Beka I’m sorry.” He put a hand over his mouth for a moment. “Please don’t be mad, I swear I was just trying to help. I-I don’t know what to do in this situation and Victor’s good at managing Yuuri’s anxiety, so I-I thought he’d have advice and-“

            “Yura.” Otabek sighed.

            “Please, please don’t be mad.” Yuri begged, reaching to put a hand on Otabek’s knee over the blanket. “Beka, I don’t know what I’m supposed to do for you. I’m just trying to figure it out.”

            “Fuck, it’s okay.” He said, putting his hand on top of Yuri’s. “Just please don’t tell anyone else okay? It’s embarrassing.”

            “I won’t, but you have nothing to be embarrassed of okay? You’re a victim.” Yuri blinked back the tears that had started to swell and leaned forward to kiss Otabek’s lips, mouth closed and sweet. “I’m really sorry. I just didn’t think it all the way through.”

            “It’s okay, I know you’re trying to help. I’m sorry if it feels like that’s all you do anymore.”

            “It’s fine. I want to be here for you.” Yuri gave his hand a squeeze. “Will you come out for a little while? You’ll feel better if you spend some time with Mara.”

            “Yeah.” Otabek nodded, taking a deep breath and crawling out of bed. He changed into a pair of jeans, so he’d look like less of a mess then followed Yuri out to the living room. “Hey you.” He grinned when he saw Mara on the sofa. “How’d your day go?”

            “It was good.” She smiled back, crawling over into Otabek’s lap and hugging him. “Yuri said your day was bad.”

            Otabek’s expression softened and he hugged her tight against him. “You’re so sweet to think of me. It’s better now that I’m with you, yeah?” He kissed the top of her head. “Hey do you want to go shopping for ballet class today? You need shoes and dresses and stuff.”

            She gave a big nod and kept hugging him. Yuri could have swooned at how adorable they looked together.

            They all got their shoes on and headed out to the store. Yuri figured it was best to just keep Otabek’s mind off of it and when Mara was around, she was his complete center of attention, so it should help to take her out.

            Yuri got her some proper ballet shoes and they went a little overboard with the outfits. There were just so many cute ones and it was so hard to say no to such a adorable little face. They bought her practically everything she wanted, but Yuri especially didn’t mind when he saw how happy Otabek looked buying it for her.

            They shouldn’t spend the money, but Yuri insisted that they go out to dinner and took everyone to Otabek’s favorite place. He seemed to be cheering up pretty well. He ate a lot and he was still affectionate like usual. Mara giggled when they kissed, so Otabek kept kissing him to make her laugh.

            “Thanks for being so helpful.” Otabek whispered to him after he paid the check, kissing his ear and squeezing his knee under the table. “This was really fun.”

            “Do you feel up to practicing tomorrow?”

            “Yeah. I want to stay distracted.”

            “Okay. We’ll really grind it out then, yeah? You need to get that leg up.”

            “Alright.” Otabek laughed, running his hand up Yuri’s thigh. “I do love some Coach Yuri time.”

            “That makes it sound kinky.”

            “Ew.” Otabek laughed again and Mara did too even if she didn’t understand the joke. “I still like it when you coach me.”

**

            Their alarm went off a little early the next morning. Yuri had set it wrong, so he just hit the snooze button and curled back up behind Otabek in his half asleep state and started to press some lazy kisses down his shoulder. “We have a few minutes if you wanna wake up now.”

            “Hm.” Otabek mumbled.

            Yuri was a little too tired to think and just did what came natural, pressing his morning wood against the small of Otabek’s back as he dipped his hand down, sliding it past the waist of Otabek’s his to hold him and stroke when Otabek suddenly tensed against him and grabbed his hand. “Hm?”

            “Please stop.” Otabek said in a quiet voice and Yuri finally woke up

            “Oh shit, fuck, Beka I’m sorry.” Yuri said, jerking his hand away and sitting up. “I-I’m half asleep, I forgot. Are you okay?”

            “Yeah it’s fine, just…” Otabek sighed and rolled over to face him, reaching over and taking his hand. “I need a break from that.”

            “Yeah of course, I just wasn’t awake.” Yuri’s shoulders slumped. “I’m really shitty at this aren’t I? That must have scared the shit out of you.”

            “No Baby, it’s fine. You just kind of spooked me.” He pulled Yuri back down and snuggled in close to him. “I still want you to touch me. Just hold me before we have to get up.”

            “Okay.” Yuri said, wrapping his arms around him and kissing his cheeks. “I’m still sorry. I’m so used to us just having sex every chance we get, you know?” He laughed as he nuzzled his nose against Otabek’s hair. “Just tell me whenever you’re ready to start again and until then, I’ll assume you’re not.”

            “Thank you.” Otabek pressed a few lazy kisses to Yuri’s neck. “I feel bad though. Your morning wood is getting out of control.”

            “I’ll live.”

            “You could use the toy I bought you if you want.”

            “Oh.” Yuri blushed. He forgot about that. Shit that would feel really good, but he knew Otabek wanted to cuddle, so he stayed and held him. That felt good enough on its own anyways. Otabek’s breath on his neck and his warmth, the softness of his pajamas against his skin. “Did you sleep okay?”

            “Yeah actually. Thanks for helping me keep my mind off it before bed, I really think that helped.” Otabek yawned. “Can you make me breakfast? I’ll do dinner, I just want eggs right now. Like a lot of eggs.”

            “Okay.” Yuri laughed. “You’re gonna have to let me get up.”

            “I can’t let you get up with a boner like that.” Otabek teased, kissing Yuri’s jaw. “Make me eggs when you’re not pitching a tent.”

            “You’re pretty bossy in the morning, you know that?”

            “Mm you love me though.”

            “I do.” Yuri sighed. “Just let me think some unsexy thoughts for a few minutes.”

**

            “How’s he doing?” Victor asked as they watched Otabek practice with Yakov barking at him. “He seems okay.”

            “He’s strong, so he knows how to keep it together, but he’s hurting. We try to keep him distracted and he’s pretty good when he’s occupied, but every time I see him drift off a bit, he looks so fucking sad.” Yuri sighed. “I’m awful at handling these things. We use sex to cheer each other up and now that’s off the table and it’s hard to keep his mind off something like that. His next session is tomorrow. We’re kind of trying to speed run the healing process.”

            “That sounds like you guys.” Victor sighed. “Don’t rush him too much.”

            “I’m trying. He’s just so eager to get this stuff back out of his head.”

            Otabek turned and skated towards them at the edge of the ice, stepping off and panting as he wrapped his arm around Yuri’s shoulders. “I think I’m doing better.”

            “You’re doing great.” Yuri smiled, turning to kiss his cheek. “Do you need my help on anything?”

            “No, but I miss you.” Otabek said as he kissed the top of Yuri’s head, squeezing him once before he turned to Victor. “Um, hey so Yuri told you what happened, yeah?”

            “Yeah.” Victor nodded. “How are you feeling?”

            “Better the more we keep our mind off of it. Just um… Please don’t tell anyone okay? Other than Yuuri because I wouldn’t ask you to keep something from your husband, but no one else.”

            “Of course.” Victor said, his expression soft. “Just between us and listen, if you need anything at all, you just let us know. We can’t imagine what you’re going through.”

            “Thank you. Seriously, you guys have been life savers.” Otabek stepped forward and pulled Victor into the hug, something that caught both of them off guard, but practically made Yuri’s heart melt. “How’s everything with the baby?” He asked when he pulled back, moving back to Yuri’s side.

            “It’s great.” Victor grinned. “The baby’s due mid-December.”

            “Isn’t that cutting it a little close to the final?”

            “Yeah, but we’re hoping to scrape by. We’re skipping the exhibition. Good thing the finals are in Russia, yeah?” He laughed. “The due date is two weeks after the finals, so we should scrape by.”

            “When everything settles down, let us babysit okay? I love babies.” Otabek smiled, pulling Yuri a little closer.

            Yuri blushed at the affection and leaned into his touch. “I’m glad you’re feeling better.”

            “I mean with all this horrible stuff that keeps happening, it’s just nice that you guys are starting a family, you know? You deserve that.”

            “Thanks, Otabek.” Victor smiled back at him. “I’m gonna head out, do you need me to pick Mara up from school tomorrow?”

            “Not tomorrow. We’ve got it.”

            “Well let me know.”

            Victor left and Yuri turned to put his arms around Otabek. “I’m really proud of how well you’re handling this.”

            “Actually, um… Now that Victor’s gone, can you take me home?” Otabek asked, his voice quiet again. “I-I was embarrassed, but my stomach’s hurting and I’m feeling really anxious. You can come back to practice, but could you drop me off at home first?”

            “Oh shit, yeah of course.” Yuri frowned. “Are you okay?”

            “Yeah, I just really can’t stop thinking about it and it’s making me feel sick.”

            “Okay, I’ll tell Yakov that you’re sick.” Yuri said, giving him a hug before rushing off to tell Yakov they were leaving. He took all the yelling that came with it, knowing Otabek sure couldn’t handle it right then, then grabbed their stuff and went to meet Otabek in the car. When he got there, Otabek was in the passenger’s, his shoulders slumped and his mouth quivering. “Beka?” He frowned, sliding into the driver’s and reaching over to touch his shoulder.

            “We’re taking Mara to her appointment in a few hours. If he did the same thing to her that he did to me, I-I don’t think I can handle it.”

            Yuri’s heart ached watching him fight tears again. He was so tired of this. It wasn’t fair. Otabek was a good person and he’d been through hell already without all of this insane trauma coming up to bite him in the ass. “We’ll get through it, Beka.”

            “I’m tired of getting through it.” He croaked. “I-I just want things to be okay. I want to stop remembering what Dad did to me and imagining what he did to Mara and I want to know that our kid isn’t gonna get taken away. I-I know she’s my sister, but Yuri, she’s our daughter. She deserves some fucking stability for the first time in her life.”

            When Otabek started crying, Yuri pulled him into a hug, letting him get it all out. “I know, Beka.” He whispered, rubbing his back. “Listen to me though okay? You’re strong enough to handle this. The worst is over, yeah? Even though you’re remembering this stuff now, your dad is gone. He can’t hurt anyone anymore. We’re gonna keep Mara and we’re gonna win the finals and everything is going to be okay? You got that? It’s gonna be fine.”

            “I hate that I’m doing this to you again, fuck, you must be so stressed.” Otabek sniffled as he pulled away. “I’m a wreck.”

            “Anyone would be. Let’s go home, okay?” Yuri said, taking a deep breath and kissing Otabek’s forehead. “Let’s take some time to calm down, so we’re ready to deal with whatever may come of this appointment.”

            “I really need to fucking do something for you.” Otabek sighed when they finally pulled out of the parking space. “You’re fiancé of the year. Shit, the century.”

            “You don’t owe me anything.” Yuri said as he drove back towards the apartment, one hand on the wheel and one hand holding Otabek’s knee.

            They got home in a few minutes and Yuri held Otabek on the sofa until he’d calmed down a little. Otabek always knew how to pull himself together, but Yuri knew how much he was hurting. He would handle Mara’s appointment on his own, so Otabek wouldn’t have to, but he couldn’t explain this sexual abuse stuff well enough to tell Mara’s therapist what to ask about.

            “You feel better?” Yuri asked, running his fingers through Otabek’s hair.

            “Yeah, I’m sorry. This whole thing is really fucking me up.”

            “It’s okay. Take all the time you need.”

            Otabek squeezed him and leaned up to kiss his jaw. “I’m gonna make all of this up to you, okay? I promise. We’ll have the best Christmas ever after the finals.”

            “Aw.” Yuri smiled, running his hand over Otabek’s hair. “I’m looking forward to it.”

            “Can I try something with you?”

            “Sure, what?”

            “I-It’s freaking me out that I lost my sex drive. I mean I know sex isn’t everything, there’s so much more to our relationship than that, but it’s a big part of our lives, you know?” He put his head back on Yuri’s chest and nuzzled his cheek against him. “I mean the make up sex when we fight and the crazy sex after practice and the really slow sex when we feel super cheesy and in love.” Otabek smiled a little and squeezed him. “It means a lot to me. I don’t want to give any of it up.”

            “I mean, do you feel comfortable having sex?”

            “I want to try just touching you and see if I can get past the anxiety.”

            Yuri bit his lip. “Beka, I don’t want you to get overwhelmed. Remember how tense you got when I touched you this morning?”

            “Yeah, but I think I need to work past it. We don’t have to, but I just want to try blowing you. I um…” Otabek blushed. “I want to see if I can get it up.”

            “Okay.” Yuri nodded, letting Otabek get off the couch before he sat up. He’d love to have sex, but he was worried about triggering Otabek in some way. “You’re sure you want to do this right now?”

            Otabek nodded and pressed a brief kiss against his lips before he got on his knees and opened Yuri’s legs. “I mean you need to relax too, right?” He took Yuri’s hand and put it on his head, reaching up to drag down his zipper.

            Yuri shut his eyes and tried to relax, sighing a little when Otabek’s mouth sunk down on him. He’d usually be whimpering like a fucking school girl when Otabek blew him, but he couldn’t stop opening his eyes, trying to check and see if he was freaking out, or if he was getting hard. He started checking enough that he sort of forgot about himself.

            Otabek pulled off and looked up at him with big eyes. “You can’t get hard for me?”

            “Huh?” Yuri glanced down at himself. “Shit. No, Beka, it’s not you.”

            “You can’t stop thinking about it either right?” Otabek swallowed. “W-What he did to me? Fuck, Yuri if this makes you see me differently, I-I don’t know-“

            “Beka, stop. Please?” Yuri sighed, tucking himself away and putting his hands on Otabek’s cheeks. “I’m just stressed, okay? I’m stressed. You said you wanted me to be honest with you when I feel overwhelmed too, right?”

            “Yeah.” Otabek swallowed, his eyes still huge and worried.

            “Okay, well I’m overwhelmed.” He said, leaning down to kiss Otabek’s forehead. “I’m worried about Mara’s appointment and about you and about everything else that’s going on. I can’t think about sex right now. It has nothing to do with what happened to you other than that I’m stressed and you know I have trouble getting into it when I’m stressed, yeah?”

            “Can I get you something?” Otabek asked, taking on that concerned tone as he rose up and sat on the couch next to him. “I’m sorry, I’m just kind of spiraling, you know me. This has to be hell on you too, can I just get you some wine and we’ll watch a movie until it’s time to get Mara?”

            Yuri’s heart warmed. Otabek could put his own shit aside so fucking quick when he was worried about someone else. “I’ll get the wine. You find the movie.” He gave him a kiss and lingered for a moment to keep him reassured. “Let’s try to relax for five minutes.”

            “Sounds great.” Otabek smiled, pressing his lips against Yuri’s cheek before letting him get up.

            Yuri breathed a sigh of relief and went to the kitchen to pour them each a glass. It really helped them to just sit back and unwind. He brought the glasses to the coffee table and set them down, snuggling right into Otabek on the couch. “Come here.” He kissed him on the lips and held him there for a moment. “You okay?”

            “Yeah. I’m sorry if I’m dumping too much on you again, are you good?” Otabek asked, nuzzling his cheek against Yuri’s shoulder. “I don’t want to overwhelm you.”

            “I’m okay. It helps to just relax with you.” Yuri said as he ran his fingers through Otabek’s hair.

            “Okay… You know if you ever need me to step away and go to Victor, or Yuuri for support, I can do that. This is a lot for you to handle.”

            “It’s fine, Beka. Really. I want to be here for you.” He kissed the top of his head. “Let’s just relax, okay? We both need that.”

            “Yeah.” Otabek breathed. “We really do.”

**

            They stayed in the room with Mara after explaining their concerns to her therapist and by some miracle, it seemed like Mara hadn’t been abused in the way Otabek had. That did wonders for their anxiety levels. Otabek was so relieved he seemed to forget about his own trauma and they spent hours playing with her at home after.

            Yuri did her nails again and she insisted on doing his, which made kind of a mess, but they were all laughing. It felt good to be happy together. They put her to bed early after she got tuckered out, but the second they went to bed themselves, she came wandering in.

            “Can I sleep with you guys?” She mumbled, holding her teddy bear as she walked up to the side of the bed.

            “Bad dream?” Otabek frowned as he sat up in bed.

            “I’m lonely.”

            “Aw, come on in Kiddo.” Otabek said, lifting her up and putting her between him and Yuri. He leaned over and gave Yuri a little apology kiss for the cuddle buffer.

            “You cozy?” Yuri smiled, kissing her forehead and draping one arm over so he could touch Otabek a little.

            She gave a little nod and they all snuggled in extra close, Otabek leaning over to give Yuri a kiss goodnight.

            “Sleep tight.” Otabek said to him before kissing Mara’s forehead and settling down with the two of them. “I’m right here if anyone has nightmares.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter by Friday! Remember I update faster if I get more feedback!! Also dont be spooked, i changed my username to match my tumblr and instagram so feel free to follow those


	16. Chapter Sixteen - Finals

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aight yall in honor of the real life grand prix finals starting in four days, its time for our bois to go to fic finals

            Otabek’s therapy was intense, but it was helping them both. Yuri went with him to every appointment and they talked everything through. She helped them a lot with some coping mechanisms for when they were feeling overwhelmed to help them not take it out on each other.

            As hard as it was to talk about, going into detail about all of the abuse, especially the sexual encounter, seemed to really help Otabek. He’d bottled so much of it up for so long that he wasn’t healing from it. The PTSD was real though and he started on Zoloft to help his anxiety and prevent depressive episodes. It would be a little while before he would feel anything and the side effects would start. They’d stopped having sex for a while too to let Otabek take his time.

            “We gotta go get Mara from ballet soon.” Otabek said as he stretched forward to hold his ankles, Yuri doing his own stretches on the other mat in front of him. Everyone had gone home from the rink and they’d taken a quick break to take Mara from school to ballet, but they just came right back to work on Otabek’s flexibility.

            “Don’t worry, we have half an hour.” Yuri said, standing up and bending backwards into a bridge position. “Ugh, my back is getting so stiff.” He huffed, coming out of the pose and reaching up to untie his hair, shaking it out. “Let’s see how your split’s coming, do you wanna-“ His eyes drifted down to Otabek’s lap and he shut his mouth, feeling the blood rush to his cheeks.

            “What?”

            “You’re uh…” Yuri laughed and knelt down next to him, putting a hand on his thigh through the leggings. “You’re hard?”

            “Shit, sorry.” Otabek laughed too, covering himself with his hands. “You just um… I don’t know, you were being all flexible and you look good today and uh…” He blushed. “Your hair’s down.”

            “Are you getting your sex drive back?”

            “Well I’ve felt better about it the last few days, but I didn’t want to rush it.” Otabek shrugged. “I um… I think maybe we could try again though? I don’t know if I’ll stay this way when you start touching me though and I don’t want your feelings to get hurt.”

            “I won’t be hurt.” Yuri said, reaching over to cup Otabek’s cheek. “We’re completely alone here. Do you want me to touch you?”

            “Um…” Otabek blushed and scratched the back of his head, glancing towards the open door to the practice room. “You have the keys to lock up right? Can you close and lock that door?”

            “Sure.” He pressed a kiss to Otabek’s cheek and got up to lock it. “Tell me what you want me to do. Anything, yeah?”

            Otabek’s cheeks turned pink. “Can you get undressed?”

            “Can I striptease you?”

            “If you want?” He laughed. “I won’t complain.”

            “Okay then.” Yuri wiggled his eyebrows a little just to keep Otabek laughing and leaned down to give him a quick kiss.

            “Don’t you need music for this?”

            “Beka, you know me better than that.” Yuri said as he stepped back and slowly peeled out of his shirt, tossing his hair back and rolling his hips a little when he started to tug on the waist of his leggings. He loved the way Otabek looked at him, just smiling like he felt lucky and his face all flushed from the arousal. He turned around and bent over when he peeled the leggings off, stepping out of them as elegantly as he really could before turning around and dropping to all fours. “You like that?”

            “I like how you always wear thongs with your practice clothes.” Otabek smiled, reaching one hand up to tuck Yuri’s hair behind his ear.

            “I mean I don’t want to be showing off any weird underwear lines.” Yuri crinkled his nose. “You still feel good?”

            “Yeah.”

            “Then shirt off.” Yuri said, cocking his head to instruct him.

            Otabek complied and sighed when Yuri crawled over him to start sucking on his neck, one hand sliding up his stomach until it got to his chest and he could rub at the sensitive part. It perked up against his fingers and Yuri turned his head to kiss him.

Fuck, he hadn’t realized how much he’d been craving this. He’d been really good about not pressuring Otabek into sex, but the cost of that had been a lot of lame masturbation sessions in the shower. He hardly ever took care of himself like that since Otabek always kept him so satisfied and nothing he could do to himself really compared. Otabek kissed him back like always, gentle, but with passion, his tongue winding around Yuri’s. His hand slid down the smooth skin of Yuri’s side until it reached the waistband of his underwear, following it around his waist until he was able to dip his hand down and grab his ass, squeezing it at the same time he nibbled on Yuri’s lower lip.

            “Start with just your hand okay? Go really slow.”

            “Okay.” Yuri said, wiping his mouth before he sat up, still straddling Otabek’s thighs as he tugged the waist of his leggings forward and reached in to cup him through the underwear. The bulge hardened against his hand and they both breathed a little sigh of relief. “Do you want to be naked?”

            Otabek hesitated a moment then nodded, letting Yuri climb off of him before he took everything off. He was definitely hard, but Yuri knew he wasn’t all the way there yet.

            “How do you want to do this?” Yuri asked, stroking his hand down Otabek thigh. “Hand?”

            “Hand to start.” Otabek nodded as he laid back on his elbows. “Go slow.”

            Yuri reached over and wrapped his hand around him, stroking and spreading the pre-cum around for lube. Otabek’s face blushed hard and Yuri pressed a few light kisses to his cheek, lips, and jaw while he touched him. “Feel good?”

            “Yeah.” He breathed. “Yuri…”

            “Do you want my mouth?”

            “I-I want to do you too though.” Otabek sighed. “Shit, can I blow you?”

            “Really?”

            “Yeah.” He nodded, opening his eyes and reaching over to cup Yuri through the thin underwear. “Take these off.”

            Yuri complied and slipped out of the thong, tossing it over on the floor with Otabek’s clothes before he let Otabek flip him onto his back. “Whoa.” He laughed, feeling the plastic of the mat stick to his back as Otabek kissed a line down his body. “Oh fuck.” He gasped when Otabek took him in his mouth, his back arching up off the mat and his toes curling. “Bekaaa.” Yuri whined.

            “Too much?” Otabek grinned when he pulled up, his lips wet as he pumped Yuri in his hand.

            “Not enough.” He breathed as he put both legs over Otabek’s shoulders and both hands into his hair. “Get me there.”

            Otabek was happy to comply and relaxed his gag reflex, letting Yuri thrust up into his mouth all he wanted, humming and swallowing around him.

            Yuri was a whimpering mess, moaning loud and sweating as Otabek worked his mouth over him. When he came, he cried out so loud he was afraid someone might come bust them before he realized they were alone again. “Beka.” He panted when he finished, taking his legs off of Otabek’s shoulders and sitting up, so he could ease him onto his back. “Tell me what you want me to do to you.”

            “Uhh.” Otabek bit his lip. “Hand for a little? I want to kiss you. Then mouth.”

            “You got it.” Yuri said as he slipped the hair tie off from around his wrist and tied his hair back up. He sat in Otabek’s lap again as he touched him and kissed him with an open mouth. Otabek was already close, so he didn’t jack him off too fast or for too long before he pulled away and bent down to suck him.

            Otabek was pretty vocal too, saying Yuri’s name over and over until he came down his throat and gasped, trembling as Yuri swallowed everything. “Yuri.” He sighed. “Fuck, I’m glad we can do this again.”

            “Yeah? Hey try to do a split right now.”

            “What?” Otabek laughed. “I’m naked.”

            “Them put your underwear on and do it.”

            Otabek raised his eyebrows at him then stretched over to grab his underwear, tugging it on before putting his weight on his hands and spreading his legs out to try and get into the position.

            “Holy shit.” Yuri beamed. “Beka, you’re like a literal inch away.”

            “How? I was a lot stiffer than this like ten minutes ago.”

            Yuri just smiled and crawled over to give him one more kiss. “You’re so relaxed after you cum that it makes you more flexible. Hold the position as long as you can, get the stretch. I’m gonna get dressed and we’ll leave to get Mara.”

            “You’re crazy as a coach.” Otabek said as he stood back up and picked up his clothes. “I hope this ballet thing went well.”

            “Me too, I really just want her to make more friends.” Yuri sighed, stepping back into his leggings and tugging them up. “I miss doing ballet. Maybe I’ll start going again when we get settled.”

            “Well you like to keep busy.” Otabek shrugged, pulling his shirt on and kissing Yuri’s forehead once he had his on too. “You look cute in your practice clothes.” He said as he put his arms around his waist. “I love this shirt on you.”

            “Really?” Yuri glanced down at himself. It was kind of ratty. Just an old t-shirt with the sleeves cut off in big open sides.

            “Yeah. I like seeing your chest and stuff.” Otabek reached around to give his ass a pinch, making both of them laugh before Yuri got the keys and they unlocked the practice room to go grab their stuff.

            They put everything in their duffel bag and started to head out when they heard the skate sharpener going and whipped around to see Victor standing there, sharpening his skates.

            “Hey guys.” Victor grinned. “Sounds like you were having fun in there.”

            Yuri smacked himself in the face. “We thought everyone was gone.”

            “I have a key. I just came by to sharpen these for tomorrow.” He laughed. “Don’t worry about me, I don’t judge.”

            “Sorry.”

            “You keep forgetting that I’ve heard this before.” Victor sighed. “Guest room?”

            “Oh.” Yuri blushed. “Fair enough. See you tomorrow.”

            “We really let Victor know way too much about our sex life.” Otabek said as they walked out to the parking lot. “What are you feeling for dinner?”

            “Can you make something? I want your Kazakh food.”

            “Aw, sure. I love when you like my food.” Otabek kissed him on the corner of his mouth then opened the car door for him. “Let’s go get Mara.”

**

            Mara was in love with the ballet class, which put Yuri over the moon. After a month, there would be a recital and he could just scream over how cute that would be. Turned out that Anna was in the class too, so she already had a friend and Minako raved about how good she was doing.

            “So we’ve got two weeks until the final.” Yuri said when they all sat down to dinner, cutting up Mara’s food for her as Otabek poured them both a glass of wine. “What do you need to get ready?”

            “I’ve got the steps and the choreography down. All that’s left is the flexibility.” Otabek sighed. “I’m really sore, Yura.”

            “I know Babe, but we have to work out the soreness if you want to keep any progress.”

            “Yeah.” He grimaced. “I need a hot bath or something.”

            Yuri wiggled his eyebrows and Otabek laughed, nodding to give him permission to join. He was just reaching over to wipe some of the food off Mara’s face when Otabek’s phone dinged.

            “Lawyer.” Otabek sighed, picking it up and swiping the message open. “Uh, the date’s a week after finals. We have a judge this time, not just a mediator.”

            “Okay.” Yuri breathed. He felt better knowing when it would be. “That’s good. We’ve got time.”

            “Can I come skating tomorrow?” Mara asked with her mouth full and Otabek grinned, leaning over to kiss her forehead.

            “Of course you can. Eat your veggies though, alright?”

            “Mmkay.”

            They finished eating together and Otabek went to give Mara her bath while Yuri did the dishes. He felt a lot better. They knew when the court date was coming and they were having sex again. That felt like progress. He hoped the meds would help things more and not make anything worse. It would probably be around the finals when the side effects started, so that felt risky.

            “Thanks for cleaning.” Otabek said when he came out of Mara’s bedroom, carrying her. Her hair was wet and she was in those cute little pajamas. Yuri ran over and gave them both a kiss.

            “Don’t worry about it. You ready for story time?” He asked Mara, giving her nose a little boop, so she’d giggle.

            They tucked her into bed together and read her a story until she started to doze off and they snuck off for a hot bath. Otabek rubbed Yuri’s feet for him which nearly got him hard. It felt so good after a long practice to be touched like that. He washed Yuri’s hair too and when they got out of the bath, they felt truly relaxed enough to do some wedding planning.

            “I think I know what I want to wear.” Yuri said, his legs kicked up in Otabek’s lap and the wedding binder open on his thighs. “You remember that crazy outfit you bought me for that first exhibition we did together?”

            “How could I forget?” Otabek laughed, nuzzling his nose against Yuri’s cheeks. “You know you can’t wear leather jeans and a crop top to our wedding right?”

            “I know.” Yuri blushed. “But I liked the colors. What if I did like a hot pink thing with my tux?”

            “Like a pink tuxedo?”

            “Do you think it’s dumb?”

            “Not if you like it.” Otabek said, planting a kiss on the corner of Yuri’s mouth. “We only have one wedding. Wear what you want to.”

            “But you like it?”

            “Yeah, Babe. You’ll look great.” He gave him a big squeeze and leaned his head on Yuri’s shoulder. “I’ll get an accent that matches you, yeah? It’ll be really nice.”

            “Awesome.” Yuri grinned. “Are we still missing bridesmaids? I mean Yuko, Minako, and Mila, but who else?”

            “Are they really bridesmaids if there’s no bride?”

            “Yes, they’re mine.” Yuri pouted. “Maybe Sara? She’s so nice. I love her.”

            “You really want her in the wedding?” Otabek laughed. “You can ask her, but she might not want to fly all the way to Japan.”

            “I’ll ask anyways.”

            Otabek yawned and shut the binder, putting it on the coffee table, so he had room to hug Yuri and give him a proper kiss. “Can we go to bed? I want to snuggle with you.”

            “I love it when you’re sweet like this.” Yuri sighed, craning his head back so Otabek would kiss his neck. “Mm, let’s go change. I want to actually get eight hours of sleep tonight.”

**

            Leading up to the finals, they planned everything meticulously. They interviewed six different nannies before picking one that Mara liked for the four days they’d be gone. They had the nanny watch her a little bit while they practiced extra hours just to get Mara used to her and spent as much time as possible with Mara every other second they were home.

            After a grueling week of nonstop training, it was time to go. They both smothered Mara in hugs and kisses, leaving the nanny with a thousand instructions on how to care for her especially if she had a panic episode, or an accident. Things felt pretty okay until they got to the airport. They were waiting for their flight to come in, snuggled up a little next to each other, half asleep when Otabek started to shift around and squirm a little.

            “You okay?” Yuri yawned, nuzzling his cheek against Otabek’s shoulder.

            “My stomach just started killing me.” Otabek winced. “I feel kind of nauseous and it’s making me anxious.”

            “Shit, I’m sorry, Beka. It’ll probably pass.” He reached up to feel his forehead, but there wasn’t a fever. “Try to sleep it off on the plane.”

            “Ugh, why now?” Otabek huffed, doubling over and holding his stomach.

            “It’s that bad?” Yuri raised his eyebrows. Otabek wasn’t a baby when it came to being sick. If he was acting like this, he was really feeling sick. “Are you gonna throw up?”

            “Maybe.” He croaked. “Can you get a bag or something? Just in case?”

            “Yeah Baby, here I have one from breakfast.” Yuri said as he grabbed his backpack, digging out a paper bag and handing it to him. “I’m sorry Beka.” He rubbed his back in slow, soothing circles. “I’ll take care of you, alright? It’s a crazy short flight.”

            Otabek groaned and sat back up. “Shit, I didn’t eat anything that you didn’t. What’s up with this?”

            “Oh shit.” Yuri bit his lip. “Beka. The side effects.”

            “Huh?”

            “Your Zoloft.”

            “Oh fuck, not now.” Otabek huffed. “Should I not take it tonight? I can’t be sick during finals, Yuri. I-I can’t.”

            “Beka, you have to take it. You’ll go off the rails if you don’t, remember? It’s in your system now.”

            “Even when it’s just kicking in?”

            “Yeah Baby, you have to take it. Look, we’ll pump you full of anti-nausea shit when we get there, okay?”

            A voice over the intercom told them it was time to board and Yuri got up, taking Otabek’s bag for him. Otabek looked really pale as they walked onto the plane, Yuri leading him to their seats and giving him the aisle in case he needed to go puke. “Let’s just get cozy, okay?” Yuri cooed, taking a blanket out of his bag and laying it over both of them, pushing up the arm rest, so he could get close.

            “Thanks.” Otabek sighed. “Can you um…”

            “Yeah.” Yuri nodded in understanding, reaching under the blanket to rub his stomach a little. They knew each other well and Yuri knew Otabek really liked to be touched when he wasn’t feeling well. It soothed him a lot just to have the contact. “Try to sleep. Tell me if there’s anything I can get for you.”

            “Just keep me distracted.” He huffed, reaching his hand over to hold Yuri’s and squeeze.

            “Hm, okay.” Yuri said as the flight attendants walked down the aisles and other people took their seats around them. “I was thinking about cutting my hair for the wedding.”   

“Huh?” Otabek jerked up and looked at him with wide eyes. “Yuri Plisetsky, I love that fucking hair.”

“Not too much.” Yuri laughed. “Just back to above my shoulders like the length it was when we met, you know?”

            “Yuriiii.” He whined, running one hand through Yuri’s hair and tucking some of it back behind his ear.

            “Beka, it’s just hair.”

            “But yours is so pretty.” Otabek sighed, putting his head back on Yuri’s shoulder. “You’ll look hot either way, but I love your hair.”

            “I’ll think about it.”

            The plane started to move and Otabek tensed, threading his fingers through Yuri’s. “I hate take off.”

            “I know.” Yuri smiled, pressing a kiss to the top of his head as the plane started to pick up speed. “Don’t puke on me, okay?”

            “No promises.” Otabek winced as he buried his face in Yuri’s neck, his eyes squeezed shut. “Oh fuck, I hate this, I hate this.” He said as they took off and the engines roared.

            “Aw Beka, hey it’ll be over in a second.” Yuri murmured just loud enough to be heard, letting go of Otabek’s hand so he could hug him with that arm. He was tense as stone next to him as the plane rose and he didn’t feel Otabek take a breath until they leveled out. “You okay?”

            “Nauseous.”

            “Keep that bag close.” Yuri said, biting the inside of his cheek as Otabek pulled away. “Do you think you can sleep?”

            “I’m gonna try.” Otabek sighed, his hand resting on Yuri’s thigh. “Wake me up before we land, okay?”

            “Sure.” Yuri nodded as Otabek rested his head back on his shoulder. He looked so cute when he was tired. “Sleep tight, Beka.” He whispered, putting a hand on top of his and planting one more kiss on his forehead before shutting his eyes himself. This was going to be a long weekend.

**

            Things took a turn for the worst when they got to the hotel. Otabek was puking his guts out, his temperature rising. Yuri called his doctor to ask if this was the side effects, or if he was just really sick and she told him it was most likely the Zoloft and the effects could be this extreme for a few days before settling down. He didn’t know what to do.

            The first two times, Yuri had rushed into the bathroom with him and rubbed his back, gotten him water, but the third time Otabek bolted up and ran for the bathroom, he just sat there. Why was this happening now? Why did the worst always, always, _always_ happen to _them_? He heard Otabek throwing up and winced, tears starting to prick at his eyes. There was no way Otabek was going to be able to skate in his top form when he was so sick and Yuri always had trouble focusing when he was worried about Mara, or Otabek. Fuck, this could be Rostelecom all over again.

            He heard Otabek rinsing his mouth out and his lips quivered when he walked out of the bathroom.

            “Yuri?” Otabek frowned. “Hey, what’s wrong? You look like you’re gonna cry.”

            “Sorry.” He swallowed. “I-I just feel like shit that this is happening. I shouldn’t have made you start those meds. We should have waited until after finals and I’m sick of us always having the worst fucking luck.” Yuri felt a lump form in his throat and tried to swallow it as Otabek came up to him. “I’m sorry. This is the last thing you need, me fucking crying while you’re sick and stressed out.”

            “Yura… Hey, no it’s okay.” Otabek sat down next to him on the bed and pulled him into a hug. “This isn’t your fault. I should have been on these meds a long time ago. All you did was help me.”

            “But now you’re sick and you have to skate.” Yuri sniffled, hugging him back. “I just want something to go right for us. We worked so fucking hard.”

            “I know.” Otabek sighed. “Look, I feel a little better after that last one. It might be passing for now.”

            “Yeah?”

            “Yeah.” Otabek nodded, pulling back so he could kiss him on the cheek. “I’d give you a real kiss to cheer you up, but uh… you do not want to taste my mouth right now.”

            “Okay.” Yuri laughed, wiping his eyes and kissing Otabek back on both cheeks. “Man, you know what really sucks is now we can’t have crazy hotel sex.”

            “Oh?” Otabek raised his eyebrows and pushed Yuri onto his back. “I said I felt better, didn’t I?”

            “Beka.” Yuri snickered, his cheeks turning pink as Otabek pinned one of his wrists over his head. “You don’t have to fuck me if you’re feeling sick.”

            “I mean I don’t think it’s over, but I’m feeling good right now, so why not use the window?” Otabek kissed his neck and Yuri let out a sigh.

            “If you puke on me during sex, I’ll kill you.”

            “Fair deal.” Otabek said as he reached down to unzip Yuri’s jeans. “No promises though.”

**

            Sex helped, but Otabek was right that it wasn’t over. They were naked on top of the sheets, just having finished and snuggled in close, Yuri about to fall asleep, when the nausea hit again.

            Yuri grabbed a robe from the closet to cover himself and ran to comfort him this time, pouring him a glass of water and digging out some mouth wash. “Feel better?”

            “No actually.” Otabek sighed. “I feel like I’m gonna be sick again.”

            “Okay, I’ll put the trash can by the bed. You should lie down.”

            “Should I skip the official practice tomorrow?” Otabek grimaced. “Maybe I should go just to see if I can power through this or not.”

            “Go for just a little while, then get back and rest. We’ll go late. Sleep in a little.” Yuri helped him up and went out to get his pajamas from the suitcase. “Come on, you should sleep.”

            “It’s so early though.” He mumbled as he changed into his pajamas. “Fuck, I’m starving, but I don’t think I can keep anything down.”

            “I’m sorry.” Yuri said as he lifted up the covers to the big hotel bed. He loved sleeping in hotels. “I think Mara’s already asleep, so let’s call her in the morning.”

            “Alright.” Otabek turned the light off and crawled in next to him, rolling over on his side, so Yuri could spoon him.

            “Wake me up if you need anything.” Yuri cooed, sliding his hand under Otabek’s t-shirt, so he could rub his stomach. “Comfy?”

            “Yeah.” Otabek sighed. “Thanks for being such a good boyfriend and everything. Or fiancé? Shit, pretty much husband at this point.” He relaxed against Yuri’s touch and yawned. “I love you.”

            “I love you too.” Yuri smiled, pressing his lips against Otabek’s neck. “Sleep tight, Beka.”

**

            They were up and down all night. Otabek was throwing up about once every two hours, so Yuri got up with him to make sure he was hydrated and called in late night room service for some toast and bananas. Even if he couldn’t keep it down, he couldn’t have a completely empty stomach.

            Yuri woke up Yakov on the phone to tell him they wouldn’t be there for the full practice, explained how sick Otabek was. They both sort of felt like crying. If the sickness didn’t pass soon, they were fucked. The short program was tomorrow night.

            They slept in a little bit in the morning just to catch up, then got out of bed and took a shower. Yuri felt awful for not being able to do more to help, but he helped Otabek get ready and pumped him full of Pepto Bismol, filled his water bottle up with club soda to help ease his stomach.

            At the rink, Otabek was looking at the ice like it was a lava pit, his eyes wide and hand gripping Yuri’s tighter than usual. Victor and Yuuri were the first to rush off the ice and come over.

            “Otabek, are you any better?” Victor asked, his eyebrows pushed together in that friendly concern he always had in times of minimal crisis. “We have some anti-nausea stuff if you need it.”

            “He already had a lot.” Yuri said, setting their bag down and sitting on the bench to change into his skates. “Beka, don’t push yourself okay? Stop if you’re feeling sick.”

            “Yeah.” He mumbled, yawning when he sat down next to Yuri. “Can you hand me my stuff?”

            Yuri nodded and dug his skates out for him. “Make sure you keep drinking something. If you get dehydrated, we’re really fucked.”

            “Guys if there’s anything we can do.” Yuuri said, Victor’s arm wrapped around his waist. “Does Yakov know?”

            Yuri nodded and finished lacing his skates up. “He’s pissed. Not, like, at Otabek, but in general. You know.” He shrugged and stood up, helping Otabek up next to him. “Let’s see how you’re doing, yeah?”

            Otabek nodded and took a deep breath. “I think I’m okay right now.”

            “Yeah? Let’s go then.” Yuri waved to Victor and Yuuri then lead Otabek to the ice, holding his hand until they stepped onto it together. “Shout out if you need me, yeah?”

            “Yeah.” Otabek gave another tired nod and kissed him on the cheek. “Thanks for being so sweet.”

            “Don’t worry about it, just try to practice as much as you can.”

            They separated for the time being and Yuri pushed himself hard. He didn’t want to make Otabek go back to the hotel alone if he left early. He would forget to drink something and dehydrate himself or something if Yuri didn’t take care of him, so he needed to get in as much practice as possible. He drilled his lutz over and over just to get it down and fell only a few times, but not hard. Otabek was sweet enough to come check on him anyways each time it happened.

            He seemed to be powering through pretty well, not drilling his hardest elements, but getting through his choreography well. Yuri felt better seeing that he was holding up. He was really tough when it came to this kind of thing. Watching Victor and Yuuri practice was a little more daunting though. He was worried sick about beating both of them, never mind Otabek doing it.

            “How are you holding up?” Yuri asked him at center ice when they both stopped to take a breather.

            “You know it’s really not so bad when I’m moving, but I’m starting to kind of tire out.”

            “You want to head back?”

            “Yeah, I don’t want to push it, but you can keep going.”

            “No way.” Yuri frowned. “I’ll take care of you. Let’s just go.”

            “You don’t have to do that.”

            “I’ll be too worried if I stay anyways. Plus, we should save our strength you know? Can you imagine if we got hurt during practice or some shit?” Yuri shrugged. “Let’s just go.”

            “You sure?”

            Yuri nodded and took his hand, cocking his head towards the edge of the ice. “Let’s put you back in bed for a bit.”

            “Thank you.” Otabek sighed, smiling when he slid forward to give Yuri a kiss on the lips, holding him there and bringing his hands up to cup his face. “Hey, it means the world for me how amazing you’re being. Seriously. Best Christmas ever after this, yeah?”

            “Okay.” Yuri smiled back, blushing at Otabek’s hands on his cheeks. “You know I like to take care of you, right? It’s not a burden.”

            “Well, you say that, but it’s still a lot of work for you and sacrifice, you know? I don’t want you to think I don’t appreciate it.” Otabek dropped his hands and pressed one more kiss to the middle of Yuri’s forehead. “Let’s go power nap.”

**

            Otabek only threw up one more time and seemed to feel better afterwards. Yuri kept him in bed and gave him medicine for the nausea, snuggled up with him all he wanted. A little affection always went a really long way with Otabek. It’d perk him up and keep his energy high.

            “No press, okay?” Yuri said as he tugged on his jacket. “Straight to the locker rooms to change, then we wait for the warm up to start. I’ll fend ‘em off if they’re aggressive and I know they’re going to be with how absent we’ve been.” He sighed. “Feeling okay?”

            “Good enough.” Otabek said as he toed his shoes on. “Thanks again. I feel like I can pull this off.”

            “You’re gonna be great.” Yuri smiled. “Seriously. I never thought you’d be able to do a spiral before like this month.”

            “Thanks, Yura.” Otabek smiled back, pulling him in for a quick kiss. “I hate that we can’t be all affectionate in front of the cameras so much anymore. I have to get it all out now.”

            “Beka.” He laughed when Otabek pressed a line of kisses down his neck and squeezed his hips. “Come on, we have to go.”

            “Alright.” He sighed, nuzzling his nose against Yuri’s before he pulled away. “I’ll get an Uber.”

            They stayed close for the ride to the arena, wanting to be affectionate while they could. Yuri was praying that Otabek’s stomach held up. At least with that worry to distract him, he had less energy to freak about his own crazy program. Victor and Yuuri opened the back entrance for them, so they could avoid the press and get to the lockers.

            “Geeze, I think I lost weight again.” Yuri said when he tugged on his costume, Otabek changing next to him. “Does this look loose to you?”

            “Hm?” Otabek zipped himself into his and shook his head. “No Babe, you look fine.”

            “Are you sure?”

            “Yeah.” He nodded, stepping over to give him a quick kiss. “You look beautiful. Let’s get our skates on, yeah? Warm up’s in five.”

            “Okay.” Yuri sighed as he sat down and started to tug on his skates. “You good?”

            “I’m really anxious.” Otabek grimaced. “And anxiety hurts my stomach, so I’m starting to feel nauseous again.”

            “Shit, well let’s go get out on the ice and see if you can skate it off.”

            Otabek nodded and sat down to get his skates on before they slid their jackets on, grabbed their water bottles, and headed out. Yuri hated when they had to restrict themselves. He needed to hold Otabek’s hand and kiss him off the ice to ease their nerves, but everything was riding on this now and they couldn’t promote their “lifestyle” if they wanted that government support.

            When they got on the ice for warm ups, Yuri kept an eye on everyone else. Victor and Yuuri were in top shape. Chris and fucking JJ too. Then there was Beka and God, he finally had a real shot at winning this thing, or at least taking silver if he could just skate clean. Yuri ran his jumps and landed them all again, breathing a sigh of relief when his lutz came out clean.

            “Good luck you guys. Seriously.” Yuuri said when they all came off the ice except for Chris, who was starting. Yuri was second and Otabek was last. Yuuri pulled them both into a quick hug and Victor wished them luck as well before they went their separate ways to watch their competitors and get prepared.

            “I feel bad.” Otabek huffed, holding his head in his hands as Chris started his routine. “I’m scared shitless, Yura.”

            Yuri glanced around to make sure no cameras were on them and no microphones were pointing their way before he rubbed his back and scootched in closer to him on the bench. “Beka, you’re gonna be fine. You’re always fine once you’re out there. It’s okay. Just do your best.”

            Otabek took a deep breath and nodded. “Sorry.”

            “Don’t be sorry. I’m nervous too.”

            “I hate skating last.”

            “Yeah.” Yuri grimaced. “We’ll go right back to the hotel after and rest up for tomorrow. Hopefully your stomach will settle by then.”

            Chris’s routine seemed to finish in a flash and Yuri would have killed for five more minutes, but as soon as Chris went to the kiss and cry, he shrugged his jacket off, handed it to Otabek, and headed to Yakov.

            “You ready for this Yura?” Yakov asked as he took his skate guards from him.

            “Ready as I can be.” He said, shutting his eyes and taking a deep breath. He was going to do this. For Mara, for Otabek, for their family. He could do it. He turned to Otabek and smiled just to reassure him right before the announcer read his name and he sped out onto the ice. He could fucking do this.

            Yuri raised his arm and took in the crowd’s roar, putting everything else out of his mind. He’d practiced the hell out of this. When his music started, he hit his choreography hard on time and went right into it.

He’d been working so hard, he’d forgotten how much he loved his program. Sure, he was yearning to do something cooler and edgier like Otabek’s routine, but ballet empowered him. He loved it. He loved how he could make his body move to the music and he slid across the ice with ease once he focused on that.

His stomach turned a little when he approached his lutz and his heart just about stopped when he entered it off axis, but managed to right himself just in time to land and land well. The crowd roared at that one and Yuri couldn’t help but grin. The practice had paid off. He soared into a spiral position and let the music take him into the second half of the program.

He hit his quadruple toe loop with both arms over his head and then a triple with just one up, turning out of the landing, but moving right into his connecting steps. After that came his layback spin right into a full Bielman position and he started to really feel happy. He was the only one in the senior mens field who could do that and the speed he was getting on it was higher than usual, even in practice.

He even landed the triple axel with flying colors and ended with a sit spin into a donut with an edge change. When he hit his end position and the music stopped, he couldn’t help it.

“YES!” He cried, pumping his fist and beaming at Otabek at the edge of the ice. There were tears in his eyes. He had never performed a program of that difficulty so well in his entire career and it felt incredible for all of the sacrifice to pay off. He rushed off of the ice and jumped into Otabek’s arms, using all of his will power just to hug and not kiss him. “Oh my God, Beka, fuck.” Yuri grinned with wet eyes when he pulled back. “I-I’ve never done anything like that.”

“I’m so fucking proud of you.” Otabek grinned right back at him. “Go to the kiss and cry with Yakov. I’m not gonna be able to hold back if I’m next to you when we hear that score.”

            Yuri nodded and gave him one more big squeeze before taking his skate guards from Yakov and heading to the kiss and cry. His heart was pounding. This had to be his personal best. Yakov stood behind him and clapped him on the back, giving a rarely awarded “good job,” while they waited. When the PA crackled, his heart leapt to his throat.

            “ _The score for Yuri Plisetsky of Russia… One hundred and twelve point two! A new world record!”_

Yuri’s mouth dropped open. He’d broken Victor’s record. He never thought he’d be able to touch that score, but he’d broken it even if it was just by a point. “Holy shit.”

            “That’s my boy.” Yakov chuckled. “Well done.”

            He stood up and bolted, running in his skates back over to Otabek and grabbing him by the wrist, so he could yank him out of sight, pulling him into the backstage hallway and pouncing. He threw his arms around Otabek’s neck and both legs around his hips when he crashed their lips together. “I’m so fucking happy.” He said through tears of joy, pulling back and peppering Otabek’s face in kisses. “Beka, I can’t fucking believe this.”

            “I love you.” Otabek laughed. “That was amazing. You’re amazing. I fucking love you.”

            Yuri kissed him one more time then put his feet down, pressing a few more kisses down Otabek’s jaw. “I love you too. You’re gonna be amazing.”

            “Well yeah you just fucking shook the rest of the competition.” He smiled as he nuzzled his nose against Yuri’s hair. “Come on, you should get your jacket back on. We don’t need both of us getting sick, yeah?”

            “Yeah.” Yuri breathed. “You feeling okay?”

            “I couldn’t possibly feel shitty right now after seeing you perform like that.” He pressed one more kiss to the middle of Yuri’s forehead then gave him a squeeze before parting. “Let’s go.”

            “Wait, wait.” Yuri said, grabbing Otabek’s wrist and looking at him with hungry eyes. “The second you’re feeling up to it, I need you to fuck my brains out after that performance.”

            “Okay.” Otabek laughed. “We’ll celebrate.” He smacked a kiss against Yuri’s cheek before they headed back out. Otabek got Yuri his jacket and they sat down together to wait for Otabek’s turn.

            Yuri just felt over the moon. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d smiled so hard it hurt. Maybe in Paris or when Otabek proposed, but it had definitely been a while. He was so fucking happy. He couldn’t wait to get back to the hotel either. If Otabek was feeling better, fuck, he just wanted to be slammed against a wall.

            Chris did fairly well, but JJ took too falls which helped take the pressure off Otabek a little more. When they called out his name, Yuri felt positive that he’d be fine.

            “You ready?” He grinned.

            “Y-Yeah.” Otabek nodded.

            “How’s your stomach?”

            “Hurting actually, but, fuck, you just did so good, Yura. I want to skate well for you, okay?” Otabek pulled him into a tight hug and squeezed before he shrugged off his jacket and handed that to him, giving his skate guards to Yakov before taking to the ice.

            “Nervous?” Yakov asked, looking over at Yuri.

            “Dying.” Yuri bit his lip as Otabek took his starting position. “He needs this, Yakov.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll put the next chapter up on Dec. 7 when the real finals start ayy


	17. Chapter Seventeen - Comeback

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lets finish up this final, fellas.

            The music started and Yuri held his breath as Otabek moved to the music. His new choreography was fantastic and he was pulling it off too, not missing a single step, evoking all the emotion that he needed to for that presentation score. Yuri breathed a sigh of relief. He was pulling this off.

Otabek moved into his first quad and Yuri didn’t think for a second he would miss it, but the worst seemed to happen. He went hard and fast into the entry and slipped off his edge before he could even jump, stumbling back and falling on his hands. “No.” Yuri choked, a hand flying to his mouth as he watched with eyes, Otabek scrambling back onto his feet and moving on to catch up with his music.

            “Dammit.” Yakov grimaced. “I’ve never seen him do that before.”

            “He’s never fallen on an entry. That hardly happens to anyone. E-Even in juniors.” Yuri swallowed, his eyes welling as Otabek fought through his step sequence. “H-He has to put it back in.”

            Otabek did just that and attempted the quadruple lutz again only to crash back down after the jump, his hands taking the weight again when he fell. It seemed to be fully rotated, but that was a second fall onto his hands.

            “He’s gonna break a fucking wrist.” Yuri held his head in his hands. “Fuck. A-All of that work and he’s tried so fucking hard.”

            “He still has the free program to come back.” Yakov grimaced as Otabek moved into the spiral position they’d worked so hard on, bringing his leg high up behind him. He held on to that at least which put Yuri at ease that he could be back on track.

            “Triple axel is gonna kill him.” Yuri winced as he prepared to move into it. Otabek landed this time, but spun out of the landing. “Thank fuck.” That was a mistake they could live with. “If he lands his combination at the end, does he still have a shot?”

            “If it’s perfect.”

            Yuri watched with his hands trembling as Otabek geared up to attempt it and wished as hard as he fucking could for him to land.

            Otabek hit a perfect quadruple toe, but touched a hand down on the triple lutz.

            “Shit.” He sighed, sniffling a bit as he looked up at the ceiling to blink his tears back. “Be nice to him, okay? T-Tell him he still has tomorrow a-and that he still has a chance. He’s gonna be so fucking hard on himself after this”

            Otabek hit his ending position and started to rush off the ice as fast as he could despite the applause, stumbling off and running right past Yuri to puke in the trash can. Usually, Otabek would die before doing something like that on camera, but his stomach heaved like he’d barely made it. The audience hushed and Yuri ran over to rub his back, handing him his water bottle when he’d finished dry heaving.

Otabek took it from him and gulped before dropping it to the floor and grabbing Yuri’s shoulders. “Yura, I’m so sorry.” He croaked, his wide brown eyes swelling with tears. “I’m so fucking sorry.”

            “Don’t be.” Yuri said, swallowing the lump in his throat and putting a hand on Otabek’s cheek. “It’s okay. Let’s go to the kiss and cry and see what we’re up against, yeah?”

            Otabek choked out a sob and clamped a hand over his mouth, blinking hard to try and drive it all back.

            “Come on.” Yuri cooed, picking his water bottle up and leading him to the kiss and cry where Yakov was waiting for them.

            “You tried your best, Otabek. Don’t be hard on yourself.” Yakov said as he gave his shoulder a brief squeeze. “The free skate is more important.”

            Otabek took a deep, shaky breath and nodded, his hand gripping Yuri’s knee as he waited.

            Yuri hated that they had to censor themselves. Otabek needed to be held and kissed and reminded that Yuri loved him even if he’d skated badly, but he couldn’t do any of that right then.

            “ _The scores for Otabek Altin of Kazakhstan… Eighty point zero one.”_

            It was actually higher than expected, a big cushion in the presentation score, but it wasn’t nearly enough to be competitive.

            “ _He is currently in sixth place. The free skate will begin at one p.m. tomorrow.”_

“I fucked up.” Otabek sobbed, doubling over with his head in his hands. “I fucked up so bad, Yuri. I’m sorry. I-I blew it for us. I’m so sorry.”

            “Don’t say that. It’s okay.” Yuri said, but he hated how his voice shook. He could cry his eyes out himself, but that would make Otabek feel so much worse. “Let’s just go, okay? Let’s go change and go back to the hotel.”

            Otabek just nodded and got up, rushing out of sight with Yuri to the backstage hallway and towards the locker rooms.

            “Are you okay?” Yuri asked, reaching out to grab his wrist. “Beka, you know you can still come back right? It’ll be okay. And if you don’t, we’ll manage.”

            “You worked so hard for me.” Otabek choked when he turned around to face him. “H-Hours, Yuri. Days. You worked so fucking hard, so that I could win this with you and I blew it for us. W-We’re going to lose so much money for Mara and it’s all my fault, I just felt so fucking nauseous out there, I-I couldn’t focus and then I overcompensated on that fucking quad and fell like that in front of everyone.”

            “It’s not your fault, Beka. You’re sick.” Yuri got up on his toe picks and gave him a kiss, holding his cheeks and sliding his tongue over Otabek’s lower lip. “It’s okay.”

            “I-I just… fuck, you did so well, Yuri. I-I want to celebrate you, I-I want today to be about _you_ , but now all we have to think about is everything riding on tomorrow.” He sniffled. “I’m sorry. I’m gonna make all of this up to you some how.”

            “Beka, shh.” Yuri cooed. “This isn’t about me. We’re in this together, yeah? You matter. We’re not going to ignore the support you need just because I had a good skate, okay? Come on, let’s get changed.” He pressed another kiss to Otabek’s lips and dropped his hands, moving to take him to the locker rooms when Victor and Yuuri sprinted past them, both barefoot and tugging on their jackets as they ran. “Oi, what the fuck is up with you guys?”

            “The baby.” Victor panted, stopping in his tracks and doubling over with his hands on his knees. “Surrogate’s in labor. We have to get back right now.”

            “Wait.” Yuri blinked. “What about the free skate?”

            “We’re withdrawing, good luck you guys.” Victor waved them off then ran to catch up with Yuuri, dropping his water bottle behind him on the way.

            “Holy shit.” Yuri breathed. “Beka, you realize that puts you in fourth automatically right? Y-You only have to beat two people to get silver. I-I pretty much make gold if I just do okay, but we could be fine.”

            Otabek’s eyes went wide. “A-Are we having good luck, or am I dreaming?”

            “Come on, let’s go change.” Yuri smiled. “Everything’s fine. Let’s call Victor and Yuuri later to congratulate them and shit, I feel rude.”

            Otabek wiped his eyes. “Shit, yeah. Let’s get back.”

            They went into the locker rooms and changed clothes, putting their skates away before sneaking out the back and catching a cab.

            “I feel better now.” Otabek breathed once the door shut, slumping over and resting his head on Yuri’s shoulder as the driver took them to the hotel. “I’ve come from fourth to second or first before.”

            “You can do it, Beka. I know you can, okay?” Yuri kissed the top of his head. “Do you think you can eat? You really need to eat something.”

            “Can we go grab a burger or something? If I’m gonna puke anyways, I might as well eat something I like.”

            “Okay.” Yuri laughed. “Let’s drop our stuff off and grab some.”

**

            Yuri had to admit, he was a little bit disappointed. The best skate of his entire career and he knew it was selfish, but he wished they could celebrate it a little more. He knew tomorrow was more important though and he knew Otabek was under way too much pressure for Yuri to make the night all about him. They went out to eat and indulged a little in the affection they’d been holding back on, had a long phone call with Mara just to hear his voice. He felt selfish for not being happy with just that.

            “I’m so proud of you.” Otabek whispered when they went to bed, his arms wrapped around Yuri’s waist. “Every time we think you’ve peaked, you just keep getting better and I know you’ll be great tomorrow too.”

            Yuri’s heart warmed at that. It wasn’t the mind blowing congratulatory sex he’d been imagining, but Otabek was so sweet. “Thanks Beka. How’s your stomach?”

            “Better. I think dinner’s staying down.” He pressed a kiss to the back of Yuri’s neck. “You smell nice.” He laughed. “Hey, no matter what happens tomorrow, we’re gonna celebrate you. We have some time before our flight home. I’ll wear whatever you want me to, do whatever you want.” Otabek gave him a squeeze and pulled the comforter above their shoulders to keep warm. “Seriously, just anything you want.”

            “Really?”

            “Mhm. I told you I want things to be about you after this.”

            The disappointment subsided and Yuri turned around in his arms to give him a proper kiss goodnight. “You’re the sweetest.” He sighed. “I’m sorry today was so hard for you. I love you though alright? I’m still really proud.”

            Otabek smiled at him and Yuri loved seeing it enough that he leaned in for another kiss. “I love you too.” Otabek blushed when Yuri pulled back. “Don’t get up if I get sick, okay? Sleep.”

            “I don’t mind getting up.” Yuri yawned, rolling back over and pressing his back against Otabek’s chest. “Wake me up if you need me.”

**

            They showered in the morning and took their time getting ready, Otabek helping Yuri do his hair before they headed out. Once they were back in the locker rooms at the arena, Otabek still hadn’t thrown up since after the short program the day before.

            “Just do your best. If it doesn’t go our way, that’s fine. We’ll deal, but you’re gonna kill it okay?” Yuri said, putting his hands on Otabek’s shoulders. “You’re gonna fucking kill it.”

            “Okay, Yura.” Otabek laughed, kissing him on the middle of his forehead. “Thank you.”

            “At least you get to skate first, yeah? And there’s only four of us, so we’ll finish early and the gala won’t last long. Neither will the banquet, do you feel up to going to that?”

            “Yeah we should go for a little bit. Has Victor texted you?”

            “Surrogate’s still in labor, they made it back in time.” Yuri shrugged. “We’ll probably have baby pictures by the time we’re off the ice.” He zipped up his jacket and cocked his head towards the door. “Warm up’s about to start. You ready?”

            “Yeah.” Otabek smiled. “Let’s go.”

            They headed out together just in time for the six minute warm up and took to the ice, Yuri feeling confident enough to fly through his jumps at full rotation, while Otabek took a little more time to warm himself up properly. They both landed everything though and that put some nerves at ease. Yuri felt great after yesterday, but he didn’t expect to perform just as perfectly again. He was fine if he just skated somewhat clean.

            “You good?” Yuri asked as warm up came to a close. “I’ll be right there on the side, just do your best.”

            “I feel pretty good.” Otabek breathed. “I think I got this.”

            “You’re gonna be great.” Yuri resisted his instinct to give him a kiss good luck and settled for a quick hug before following the other skaters off the ice. He took the same place as he had yesterday at the edge of the ice, next to Yakov.

            “How is he today?” Yakov asked and Yuri actually smiled.

            “He’s better. I think he’s done being sick for now.” Yuri said as Otabek took to center ice. “He felt a lot better after Victor and Yuuri left. He’s got a real chance now.”

            When Otabek’s music started, Yuri didn’t hold his breath. He knew his fiancé. He knew that going from having little to no chance of a comeback to getting it back within his reach was all all the motivation Otabek needed.

            Just like Yuri predicted, he landed his first quadruple toe with flying colors and moved right into his choreography. He was skating just like in practice and Yuri’s heart thumped watching him glide across the ice. He’d been so distracted by everything, he forgot just how hot Otabek looked doing this routine. Otabek’s lutz landed and so did his triple axel. Yuri worried he might get shaken when he touched down on a quad salchow, but Otabek just got up and kept going. His spins were gorgeous too now that he was more flexible and Yuri’s mouth watered watching them. He really should get a handle on the hyper sex drive, but Otabek made it pretty hard.

            Otabek turned out of one landing near the end, but he finished strong with a layback spin Yuri had taught him, panting and sweaty, but grinning when he turned to wave at the audience who roared for the come back. He basked in it for a moment then skated to the edge of the ice, taking his skate guards from Yakov before pulling Yuri into a hug. “I think that might be enough.” He breathed. “All I need is a stumble or two from Chris and JJ.”

            “You did great, Beka.” Yuri said as he squeezed him back. “Come on, let’s get the scores.”

            They all headed to the kiss and cry and Yuri sat close to him, rubbing his back a little while they waited. The score came out well over two hundred points, a safe two hundred and nine and Otabek’s new personal best despite the small mistakes. Once again, his presentation had come up almost ten full points. Yuri took him backstage while Chris and JJ skated next, kissing him deeply in the hallway to show how happy he was and to distract himself a little from his own nerves.

            “You ready?” Otabek smiled, nuzzling his nose against Yuri’s. “JJ’s almost done, we need to go out.”

            “I know, but I want to kiss you.” Yuri pouted. “You did so well.”

            “Yeah, well now it’s your turn.” He laughed as he turned his head to give Yuri one more kiss. “You’ll be great. I feel bad, but you know, Chris popped half his jumps. If I’m still in first after JJ, we’re in the clear.” Otabek kissed him on the cheek then cocked his head back towards the entrance. “Come on.”

            Yuri took a deep breath and nodded, following Otabek back out into the arena as JJ went to the kiss and cry. His stomach was in knots waiting for that stupid score. If Otabek beat him, then everything could be okay. All Yuri would have to do was be consistent.

            JJ’s score came out to fifteen points under Otabek thanks to a judge panel that wasn’t too fond of him and a hard fall on a quad, putting Otabek’s overall score above his by barely two points.

            “Holy shit, this is close.” Yuri breathed. “Geeze, one fall could put me in third.”

            “That’s not true, you have a great cushion from the short program.” Otabek lead him up to Yakov and took Yuri’s jacket from him while he took off his skate guards. “You got this.”

            “Thanks.” Yuri sighed, pushing his hair back behind his ears and looking to Yakov. “I’m ready.”

            Right on queue, they announced his name and Yuri took one more deep breath before skating out. He could do this one more time. For Mara.

When the music started, he tried to focus on his choreography like he had yesterday, suppressing the nerves and moving along to the melody like he knew he could do. He picked up good speed moving into his quadruple lutz, but felt his axis shift off balance in the middle and his foot skidded out from under him when he landed. _Fuck_. Yuri shoved himself up and kept going, moving into a combination spin from layback to upright. He could recover from this. There was a little pain, but nothing he couldn’t power through.

            His triple axel was a saving grace and he landed that perfectly, taking some deep breaths through his next step sequence. One fall wouldn’t be the end of the world even in a close race. Even if he fell to second that would be fine with Otabek in first, he just couldn’t afford another mistake.

            Yuri swallowed a lump in his throat when he jumped into a quad loop followed by a triple lutz with both arms over his head. He wobbled, but fought for the landing and stayed upright, breathing a sigh of relief. He wasn’t going to have great grades of execution, but it should be enough. He hated that he’d fucked up just enough to be uncertain.

            He finished with his heart pounding, trying hard to do some math in his head as the audience cheered for him. Shit, what if those mistakes really were enough to put him behind? Yuri got off the ice and went right into Otabek’s arms, hugging tight.

            “You were great.” Otabek cooed. “I’m sure your score is fine. You have a huge cushion.” He squeezed him extra hard and lingered for a moment to comfort and warm him up a bit. “It’ll be fine.”

            “Thanks Beka.” Yuri sighed as he pulled away and they headed to the kiss and cry with Yakov trailing behind them. “I really wanted to go completely clean.”

            “You’re still gonna win.”

            “I hope.” Yuri grimaced as he took a seat with him and waited for the scores.

            “You’ll cut it close, but I think you’re okay.” Yakov said. “Otabek might take first, but I don’t think for a second that you’re going to fall to third.”

            “Well it would be kind of cool to lose to you here.” Yuri smiled, knocking his knee against Otabek’s. Every second felt like about a thousand at this point. He drummed his fingers on his thigh as he waited, letting Otabek drape his jacket over his shoulders, but he still felt freezing cold.

            _“The scores for Yuri Plisetsky of Russia…”_

The loudspeaker cracked and Yuri perked up, biting hard enough on the inside of his cheek to draw blood.

 _“One hundred and ninety point one! He takes first place over all_.”

 _“_ Holy shit, thank God.” Yuri breathed, turning and yanking Otabek into a tight hug. “We did it.” The judges had been pretty harsh on the small mistakes and one fall, but that was fine. They’d pulled it off regardless.

            “I’m so proud of you.” Otabek laughed, squeezing back so tight it almost hurt. “Shit, Yura that’s insane. You won the fucking finals.”

            “And you got silver.” Yuri grinned when he pulled back. “Beka, that’s the highest you’ve ever gotten here.”

            “Let’s get away from the cameras.”

            Yuri nodded and even stood up to give Yakov a quick hug. “Thanks Old Man.” He teased when he pulled away. “Guess you’ll get that coaching fee yeah?”

            “Yeah?” Yakov chuckled. “Don’t worry about it.”

            “You’re getting it.” Yuri said before sliding his arms through his jacket sleeves. “Beka, let’s go.”

            Otabek took the lead and grabbed their water bottles before running off with him to the backstage area, trying to beat any press that might try and catch them. “Come here.” He said when they got into the hallway by the locker rooms, pulling Yuri against him and pressing their lips together.

            It was softer than Yuri expected. Full of relief and gentle, one hand coming up to hold his cheek and one hand resting on his waist.

            “We shouldn’t stay back here, we have the medal ceremony.” Yuri blushed when they pulled away.

            “Soon.” Otabek tucked Yuri’s hair back behind both ears and just pressed his lips to the center of Yuri’s forehead. “I love you. I’m really proud of us today.” He lowered his voice and leaned in to kiss his ear. “After the gala tonight, I’m yours for whatever you want. It’s our last hotel night for a long time, sooo.” He pulled back and raised his eyebrows, giving Yuri’s waist a squeeze before he stepped away. “Make it count, yeah?”

            “Yeah.” Yuri grinned, his heart thumping as they started to walk back out. “You feel up to doing the exhibition?”

            “Wouldn’t miss it. We’ll hit the banquet after too, I want to get a little drunk.” Otabek laughed as they approached the entrance again. “Come on, let’s get those medals.”

            Topping the final podium right next to Otabek was the best feeling in the world. Yuri was smiling so hard his face ached and Otabek looked so fucking happy too. This was a new height for him completely, a new level to his career and Yuri was so insanely proud of everything he’d done. Now they’d have the money to take care of Mara.

            The ice dance at the gala was almost as intimate as their performance in Paris, the only thing holding them back being the stupid censorship standards they were under. Still though, Otabek lifted him with the same confidence and gentleness as always, held him close in all the parts of their choreography that called for it. Now that he thought about it, Yuri was a little worried the performance might get them in trouble, but they’d done what the government had asked of them. They could worry about that if it came up.

            After the gala, they took a quick trip back to the hotel room to change for the banquet then headed to the ballroom. They’d usually mingle a lot, but they were feeling a little too cheesy to share their attention with anyone else. Otabek spun Yuri around the dance floor like he weighed less than a feather and they couldn’t stop laughing after the fifth glass of champagne.

            “Beka.” Yuri sighed, pressing his forehead against Otabek’s as they moved to a slow song, his arms locked around his shoulders. “I’m uh… I’m not gonna last much longer before I drag you upstairs.”

            “I know.” Otabek laughed. “Me too, just let me dance with you a little longer.”

            “You know you’ve gotten a lot better since all that training.” Yuri smiled as they swayed back and forth, the light hum of conversation topping the music around them. “I like it.”

            “Yeah?” Otabek stepped back and spun him around before pulling him back in, grinning before he leaned in and kissed him.

            Yuri parted his lips for him and pushed a hand into Otabek’s hair as he kissed him back. He loved how slowly their tongues brushed up against each other and how Otabek’s hands held his hips, how the kiss seemed to follow the music that was playing. Everything felt so much better. They still had the custody case to worry about and a wedding to plan, but now they could stop training so hard. They could spend more time with Mara, more time with each other. “Let’s go.” Yuri whispered, nuzzling his nose against Otabek’s. “I know what I want.”

            “Oh yeah?” Otabek raised his eyebrows. “Should I be excited?”

            “Mm, a little.” Yuri said as the song ended and he lead Otabek off the dance floor, towards the double doors at the side of the ballroom. He was a little tipsy, but Otabek kept a hand on his waist as they left the banquet and headed for the elevators. He pressed a few lazy kisses to Otabek’s neck as they waited, wrapping his arms around his waist to hold on to him.

            “You’re cute when you’re a little drunk.”

            “Mm, I’m a lightweight.” Yuri laughed when the elevator opened, letting Otabek tug him inside and hit the button for their floor. “I wore lingerie under this.” He snickered as it started to rise, nuzzling his nose against Otabek’s jaw. “The one you like.”

            “The purple?”

            “Mhm.” Yuri nodded, grinning when they stepped out of the elevator and stumbled down the hall to their room.

            Otabek unlocked the door and they hurried inside together, tossing the room key on the table by the TV and falling right into bed.

            “Get me out of this suit.” Yuri whined as Otabek kissed his neck, pressing his hips up against the thigh that had pressed between his legs.

            “Be patient.” Otabek laughed, rolling off of him and standing up to get himself undressed.

            Yuri slid out of his blazer and tossed it on the foot of the bed, kicking his shoes off before fumbling to undo the buttons on his shirt.

            “Here, I got it.” Otabek said, dropping his dress pants before sitting next to him and undoing the buttons one by one. He opened Yuri’s shit and leaned down to suck at the sensitive part of his chest, something that lured an embarrassingly high moan from Yuri’s drunk lips.

            “Beka.” Yuri breathed, his head tipping back. “Unzip my pants if you’re gonna do that shit, this zipper’s gonna keep us from having another kid.”

            Otabek swirled his tongue one more time then moved his mouth to Yuri’s neck as he dragged down the zipper, sliding his hand inside to cup him through the thin material of the thong he’d put on.

            Yuri whined when he hardened against Otabek’s hand and rolled his hips against it.

            “You gonna tell me what you want?” Otabek murmured, pressing the heel of his hand down against him.

            “Mouth.” Yuri sighed, lifting his hips, so Otabek would finally pull his pants off and toss them to the floor.

            “You want me to blow you?”

            “No. I-I mean yeah, but… Fuck.” Yuri felt his face turn red. “I um… I want you to, you know...” He shrugged and looked off to the side.

            “Okay, I think I got it.” Otabek teased as he started to kiss a line down Yuri’s chest. “I love it when you wear this underwear. It makes your hips look so cute, you know?” He kissed each of Yuri’s hip bones as he slid down the bed and hovered over the bulge trapped in the tight lace. “Hips up.”

            Yuri complied and breathed a sigh of relief when Otabek tugged them off, spreading his legs wide for him.

            “Put your legs on my shoulders.”

            “I kind of like it when you tell me what to do.” Yuri giggled, his face warm as he hooked his thighs over Otabek’s shoulders. “Don’t let me cum though, you know I’m quick when I’m drunk.”

            “Mm, that’s up to you Babe.” Otabek said before taking his cock in his mouth and making Yuri’s toes curl.

            “Hhh, fuck.” He sighed. “Beka.”

            He only stayed there a moment, making sure Yuri was fully hard and squirming around before he pulled off and brought his mouth further down.

            “A-Aa!” Yuri stuttered out, his eyes squeezed shut as Otabek’s tongue swirled around him between his legs. Fuck, that felt good. He was always too embarrassed to ask him to do this, but he liked it a lot and the light drunken fog around his head was making it feel so warm and so good that he couldn’t keep his mouth shut. Otabek didn’t hold back either. He kept two fingers on his perineum and massaged that while he worked his mouth, coming up occasionally to drag his tongue over his erection and keep him squirming. “Beka.” He whimpered when he started to suck hickies onto the inside of his thigh. “Stop, stop, I’m gonna get too close. Prep me.”

            “Did you get the lube?”

            “Ugh, no I’m drunk and dumb.” Yuri groaned as Otabek took his head out from between his thighs. “Can you get it?”

            “Yeah.” Otabek smiled, crawling over him with Yuri’s legs still pressed to his shoulders to kiss him. “I love how flexible you are.” He whispered, nuzzling their noses together.

            “Aw.” Yuri laughed when Otabek pulled away from him, reaching down to drag his hand up and down his shaft while he watched Otabek dig through the suitcase. “Is there anything you want me to do to you?”

            “Hm.” Otabek shrugged as he walked back, tossing Yuri the lube bottle. “Wanna try a new position?”

            “Sure, like what?”

            “I don’t know, uh… wheelbarrow?”

            “Okay.” Yuri grinned, giggling when Otabek dropped his boxers and crawled back over him. “You gonna show me?”

            “Let me prep you first, Space Head.” Otabek said, taking the lube from him and flicking it open.

            Yuri spread his legs again and shut his eyes as Otabek took care of him, stretching him out gently, but not too slow until he was ready to go without any pain.

            “Here, like this, yeah?” Otabek said, tugging Yuri closer and sitting up on his knees. “Put your legs around me, so you’re kind of lifted.”

            “Okay.” Yuri snickered, letting Otabek hold his hips up while he wrapped his legs around his waist. “Just like this?”

            “Yeah, you ready?” Otabek smiled, holding his hips tight to keep him up.

            Yuri nodded and watched as Otabek pushed himself inside. “Fuck.” He gasped, feeling him sink in. The angle was good. It had Otabek putting way more pressure on his spot then they’d get with missionary, or cowgirl, or some shit. “Move.” He whimpered, reaching down to touch himself as Otabek pushed his hips forward and pulled Yuri’s to meet with the thrusts. “Whoa, fuck.” He breathed as they started to find a rhythm. How had they not tried every position in the book by now? They’d been missing out. He loved how strong Otabek was too, holding him up so easily while on his knees.

            When Yuri tightened his legs, Otabek took one hand off his hips and used it to touch him, stroking in time with his thrusts. The thing Yuri liked best about this position, was the perfect view of all the dumb perfect faces Otabek made during sex. He’d always hide it, but now Yuri could see and looking at how aroused he was made everything feel so much better. He could never last with more than one or two glasses of wine in him, so he started to get close pretty quick. “Beka, I’m almost there.” He breathed, tensing his muscles around him to try and get him closer too.

            “Me too.” Otabek said, bucking hard into him and stroking faster. “Cum for me, Yura.”

            That was really all Yuri needed and he did what he was told, cumming after just two more thrusts and whimpering out Otabek’s name. Otabek stroked him through it and dug his nails into his hip when he came himself, bucking hard into Yuri until he finished inside him. Yuri got a full view of that orgasm expression and felt his own face turn red, watching how Otabek blushed and how he moaned as he finished. Otabek pulled out as soon as he was done and sat back on his heels to catch his breath.

            “Wow.” Yuri laughed as Otabek gently lowered him back onto the comforter. “That was awesome, we should try some crazier positions.”

            “Sure.” Otabek smiled as he laid down next to Yuri and leaned in for a short kiss. “You wanna go right to sleep?”

            Yuri nodded and pulled up the comforter, crawling under and making grabby hands at Otabek until he came under with him. “I’m so happy this is over. I just want to go home to Mara and be a little family, you know?” He yawned as he snuggled into Otabek’s side. “I miss her.”

            “Me too.” Otabek sighed. “We’ll see her tomorrow. Right now, I’m pretty happy to have a little alone time with you.” He kissed the top of Yuri’s head and pulled the comforter up above their shoulders. “Mm, my little champion.”

            “You won too, Beka.” Yuri smiled. “Your first final podium.”

            “I know and I’m super excited, but I want to celebrate you for a while, yeah? I never would have gotten up there without all your help.” Otabek leaned down and gave him a proper kiss on the lips, lingering a moment. “Christmas is gonna kick ass. You deserve something really, really nice.”

            “I’ll be happy with whatever you do.” Yuri said as he shut his eyes. “Remind me to call Victor in the morning.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter will be up next week! I have a lot of work coming so expect slower updates, sorry!! Break starts 12/22 and then I'll go back to multiple updates a week.


	18. Chapter Eighteen - Closer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oof custody case heating up y'all. FYI I know this fic is getting a /bit/ long. I try to do as much fan service as possible, but I think this one will probably be wrapped up by / around a 25th chapter (give or take). Thank you so much to everyone who is still reading!!

            Victor and Yuuri’s baby had come happy and healthy, a little girl that they were already spamming all over Instagram. Yuri called them from the airport and they all shared a little in the happiness of the whole thing. Otabek couldn’t wait to bring Mara over to see the baby.

            They slept on the flight and rushed straight back to the apartment in a cab when they landed, eager to see Mara after being away for what felt like a week.

            “Hey Ladybug!” Otabek beamed the second the nanny opened the door with Mara in her arms, taking her and hugging her tight against his chest. “We missed you so much.”

            Yuri let them have their moment and paid the nanny, thanking her for all the work before she headed out and he shut the door. Mara was giggling in Otabek’s arms as he peppered her little face in kisses and Yuri’s heart warmed at the sight. They always looked so happy. “Hey Mara, we have some good news for you yeah?”

            “Okay.” She laughed as Otabek smacked one more big kiss to her cheek.

            “You know your god parents, Victor and Yuuri?”

            Mara nodded.

            “They just had a baby. You want to go and meet her?”

            Her little mouth dropped open. “Two boys can have a baby?”

            Otabek snickered and squeezed her a little tighter. “It’s complicated, Kiddo. You wanna go?”

            She nodded and Yuri went to put their suitcases away and grab her shoes for her. He was pretty excited to see the baby himself. It had been kind of a long time coming for Victor and Yuuri since they’d started planning for her two years ago.

            “Alright, come here.” Yuri said, walking up to Mara. “You ready? You need to use the bathroom or anything before we go?”

            She shook her head and Otabek passed her to Yuri. “I’ll drive.” He said, pulling the keys out of his pocket.

            “You want me to sit in the back with you?” Yuri asked, pressing a few kisses into Mara’s hair. “You miss me?”

            She gave another little nod and Yuri swooned a bit, hugging her tight as they headed out of the apartment. He’d really missed her. She hugged him back as they all walked down the stairs together and Yuri just didn’t want to let go of her.

            “Come here, Little Lady.” He cooed when he strapped her into the car seat. “Hey, you have any trouble at school while we were gone?”

            She shook her head.

            “Did the nanny take you to ballet and school on time and everything?” Yuri asked as he slid in next to her and Otabek took the driver’s seat.

            “She let Anna come over.”

            “Oh yeah? Did you have fun?”

            Mara nodded. They hadn’t really given the nanny permission to have anyone over, but if Mara was happy, then he didn’t mind.

            They drove the short distance to Victor and Yuuri’s apartment and carried Mara up the stairs to their front door, both of them grinning with the excitement. Yuri loved seeing Otabek like this. He just fucking loved kids and he got this look in his face around babies that made Yuri just melt for him.

            “Hey guys.” Victor beamed when he opened the front door, his hair sticking out every which way. “Sorry it’s kind of a mess in here. Not much sleep, but come on in. The baby just woke up, so she’s all adorable and drowsy and quiet right now.”

            “Be very quiet around her, okay?” Otabek said to Mara as they followed Victor inside. “You guys have the nursery all set up?”

            “Yeah, right this way.” Victor led them through the living room to the door next to the master bedroom and opened it to reveal Yuuri sitting in the rocking chair by the crib, holding their swaddled newborn.

            “Hey guys.” Yuuri grinned. “Come see her, she’s super sweet right now. We’re between tantrums.”

            They walked over and Yuri held Mara up, so she could see. The baby was smaller than he’d expected, her little face all red and her eyes just barely peeping open. She let out a tiny squeal when Mara waved at her and they all laughed, Yuuri bringing her up to kiss her tiny cheeks.

            “Isn’t she perfect? We’ve been crying like ten times more than her, we’re just so happy you know?” Yuuri said as he rocked her back and forth. “How are you guys? We heard that you won, that’s amazing.”

            “Yeah, but not as amazing as this, I mean wow.” Otabek laughed. “She’s really beautiful. I guess it’ll be a while before these two can have play dates though, right?”

            “I think it’s gonna be a while before we can even sleep again.” Victor yawned from behind them, walking up to kiss the top of Yuuri’s head. “Baby, you should really go take a nap while you can. I can take her.”

            “I know, but I don’t want to put her down. Sorry, I’m kind of hogging her.” Yuuri said, his cheeks pink as he pulled Victor down for a brief kiss.

            Yuri’s heart warmed. They looked really fucking happy. He kind of wanted this to be him and Otabek in another few years. A baby of their own, of course with Mara too. He never thought that would be his fantasy, but looking at Victor and Yuuri, he knew how much he really wanted to have a baby with Otabek. Maybe after they retired, they could have one. Having Mara was such a joy, he’d just love to have a second kid. Holy shit, they could grow up to be pair skaters. “What’s her name?”

            “Yulia.” Yuuri said as he leaned down to kiss her small forehead.

            “Aw, that’s perfect.”

            “So what are you guys doing for the rest of the season?” Otabek asked, gently caressing the baby’s cheek with his knuckle and laughing when she grabbed his finger.

            “You know uh… I think we might be done.” Yuuri said, leaning down to kiss the baby’s forehead. “I thought we’d be able to finish and just use a sitter, but I can’t imagine leaving her with someone else for a whole weekend. I think we’re just gonna go ahead and retire early.”

            Victor nodded in agreement and gave Yuuri’s shoulder a squeeze. “We shouldn’t be apart from her anyways right now. There’s a lot of ground to make up when you adopt, y’know? There’s a lot of bonding we have to do.”

            “Well hey, you know we can babysit for you right?” Otabek said. “I mean you guys can still be home and all, but if you just really need some sleep, we can come here whenever and just take care of her for a few hours.”

            “Thanks guys.” Victor said, giving Yuuri one more kiss before he pulled away and cocked his head towards the door. “Let me make you guys something to eat.”

            They all stayed for dinner and Otabek helped Victor make it, Yuri busy occupying Mara and swooning over the new born. She was just so precious and tiny. It was crazy really seeing a person who had their entire life ahead of them.

            They were both still a little jet lagged after, so they headed home at Mara’s bed time and tucked her in before crawling into bed themselves.

            “Hey Beka?” Yuri said as he snuggled in close to him.

            “Yeah?”

            “I think I want to have a baby.”

            “Huh?” Otabek laughed. “Like now?”

            “Not now, but… after we retire? So maybe in just a few years?” Yuri blushed. “I just love Mara, you know? I kind of want another one. I want to raise a kid right from the start and y’know, prevent all that horrible trauma you and Mara had to go through as kids.”

            “Aw.” Otabek smiled, pressing a kiss to Yuri’s forehead. “I’d love that.”

            “Yeah?”

            “Mhm. Let’s just get through one adoption first, yeah? We’ve got a few days before that court hearing.”

            “At least we get to have Christmas after that.” Yuri yawned. “We have to go shopping for Mara, so let’s do that while she’s at school.”

            “Sounds good, Yura.” Otabek mumbled, giving him a squeeze before shutting his eyes. “I’m really gonna make up all the stuff you’ve had to deal with, alright? Christmas is gonna kick your ass.”

            “Okay.” Yuri snickered, giving him one final kiss goodnight. “Sleep tight, Babe.”

**

            They got up early to get Mara to school then took the rest of the day to work on the wedding. They had the location set and reserved, so they figured they could move onto the fun part.

            “Get whatever you want. We only get one wedding, you know? So I want you love whatever you wear.” Otabek said as they browsed the different suit pieces, Yuri’s eyes wide as he sifted through the outfits. He knew Otabek wasn’t really into fashion and all that, but this was Yuri’s heaven. He wanted to wear something perfect for the wedding.

            “I want literally everything.”

            “Well you could have a costume change for the reception.”

            “Really?!” Yuri’s eyes widened. “No way, that’s way too much money.”

            “Aw, but it’s our wedding.” Otabek smiled, looking around to make sure no one was watching before he wrapped his arms around Yuri’s waist from behind and kissed him on the cheek. “Get whatever you want.”

            “Beka, I’m gonna cry.”

            “Okay, don’t do that. Let’s look for the pink one you wanted, yeah?”

            Yuri beamed and nodded, letting Otabek take him around the store. He picked a fully white tuxedo for the ceremony and found a hot pink piece that he could wear for the reception. Otabek was a little more traditional, just choosing black, but Yuri had great ideas for accents that would make them match.

            He ducked into the dressing room and changed into the all white suit first, beaming when he realized how well it fit. They’d tailor a few things, but it was almost perfect. “Do you like it?” He blushed when he stepped out of the dressing room, tugging at the sleeves to smooth it out.

            “Yuri.” Otabek’s mouth fell open. “Holy shit.”

            “Yeah?”

            “Yes.” He said, stepping forward to pull him into a kiss. “That’s fucking gorgeous.” Otabek whispered between kisses, holding Yuri’s face in his hands as he went in again and again, mumbling little things about how good he looked that made Yuri’s heart thump. “Let me see the other one.” He grinned when he finally pulled away.

            A voice cleared behind them and they both jumped up, red faced.

            “Excuse me.” Huffed an older man with graying hair, a young woman standing behind him. Yuri couldn’t tell if she was his wife, or his daughter, or what, but he stumbled out of his way and let him pass, his stomach churning at the dirty look he gave them.

            “What a dick.” Otabek sighed when he walked away. “Do you want to go ahead and buy that?”

            “Uh yeah actually.” Yuri nodded. “I kind of feel uncomfortable though, can we save the rest of the shopping for another time?”

            Otabek’s face fell a little, but he nodded, letting Yuri go back into the dressing room to change.

            His nose had just healed not too long ago, so Yuri wasn’t too eager to go around challenging anyone again, but it felt shitty being treated like freaks. He changed quickly and walked with Otabek to pay for the suit, excited to buy it, but anxious about that guy watching them. When they left the store, he just felt like taking a nap. He just wanted to have fun in public like normal couples did. They were shopping for a wedding, they should be able to kiss.

            “Shit, are you bummed out?” Otabek asked when he got behind the wheel. “I’m sorry.”

            “Not your fault.” Yuri shrugged.

            “You want to go shopping for Mara?”

            “Yeah.” He sighed. “Just um… I guess we’ll just keep our hands to ourselves and stuff.”

            “I’m really sorry, Yura.” Otabek said, reaching over to squeeze his knee. “Hey, tell you what. We’ll do her shopping while she’s at school, go take her to ballet, and while she’s in there, I’ll take you out on the motorcycle, yeah? We haven’t done that in ages. We can go to the waterfall and shit. No one’s ever there.”

            “Really?” Yuri lit up. They hadn’t taken a ride on that bike in ages. It had just been sitting in the garage of the apartment building. “I would love that, holy shit.”

            “Okay then.” Otabek smiled, keeping his hand on Yuri’s knee as he pulled out of the parking space. “Let’s go spoil the hell out of Mara now, yeah?”

            They went to Toys R Us and spent a small fortune on things for Mara. New princess costumes and dolls and games for all of them to play together. If any kid on the planet deserved to be spoiled, it was Mara. They got her some new ballet shoes, so she could practice more since she seemed to be liking it so much and some new gloves for skating. It was a bit of a race to get all of the stuff home and hidden in the apartment before picking her up from school and taking her to ballet.

            “Have fun, okay?” Yuri grinned as he hugged her goodbye. “If you have trouble with anything, just come home and I’ll help you with it, or me and you can always come to the studio to practice together.”

            “Okay.” Mara giggled as Yuri peppered her face in kisses.

            “Just do your best.” Yuri said as he pulled away, letting Otabek give her a quick hug goodbye before they both let her run off to join her class. “I love that she loves this.” Yuri beamed. “I know she’s not mine or anything, but she’s so much like me you know? I don’t want to get too hopeful that she’ll stick with it or anything, but it makes me so happy.”

            “I love how you light up when we take her here.” Otabek smiled, leading him back to the car. “Do you want to start dancing again? We have time now. We don’t have to compete again until Europeans and the pressures kind of off a little now, so we won’t have to train that hard again.”

            “I don’t know, I mean should I?” Yuri blushed. “Would you come see me and stuff?”

            “Of course I would. I love watching you perform.” Otabek grinned as they got in the car. “You should do it. I can tell how much you miss ballet.”

            “Yeah, okay.” He said, his heart warm as they drove off. It was so sweet how much attention Otabek paid to him and how supportive he was. Yuri felt really lucky. Even more so when they made it back to the apartment and Otabek dug the motorcycle out of the parking garage, tossing Yuri the spare helmet.

            “Hold on to me, okay? Tell me if I’m going too fast.” Otabek said as he climbed onto the front.

            Yuri rolled his eyes. “You usually go too slow. Do I have to wear the helmet?”

            “Yes.”

            “It makes my hair look gross.”

            “Your hair never looks gross, now come on.” Otabek said, patting the space behind him until Yuri hopped up and wrapped his arms around the taller boy’s waist.

            Yuri shut his eyes as they drove out of the garage and onto the street, savoring the cool air whipping against them. Whenever they stopped at a light, he could smell Otabek’s cologne and he could just drown in that stupid patchouli scent he always wore. It was just so Earthy and comforting. When they started headed onto the side roads towards the waterfall a few miles out, he started to press little kisses against his neck and shoulders just to make him blush while he drove forward. He really liked this area. They lived on the edge of the city, so a short drive would take them right into the suburbs and with the right shortcut, the country. It was frozen most of the year, but they were in an unseasonal warm spell and the waterfall was running just fine.

            It was kind of a special spot for them. One of their earliest dates had been a picnic on the grass right by the small lake the waterfall poured into. They’d had one of their first heart to hearts then, both opening up about their past, their parents. It had been one of their first intimate make out sessions and Yuri always got the same warm feeling that he’d felt on that day whenever they returned to the spot.

            Otabek parked on the nature trail by the water and shut the bike off. “Are you warm enough?” He asked as he stood up and took off the helmet, Yuri doing the same.

            “I’m fine, just hold me and stuff.” Yuri blushed as they walked down the shallow hill to the edge of the water, sitting down just a few feet back so they were close, but not enough to get wet.

            “Come here.” Otabek sighed, stretching out on the grass and pulling Yuri in close, so he could press a few kisses into his hair. “I’m sorry that guy made you feel shitty earlier.”

            “Mm, I don’t care about that anymore. Today’s been really nice.” He rolled onto his side and hooked his leg over Otabek’s, nuzzling his cheek against his shoulder. “Thanks for being so sweet to me. I know how stressed you are and everything.”

            “Well you are too.”

            “Yeah, but still.” Yuri said, tucking his hand just a little under the hem of Otabek’s shirt to rest on his skin. “How are you feeling? With the meds and everything?”

            “You know, I think they’re really helping. I haven’t had any nightmares and earlier, I wasn’t even really anxious when that guy was rude. I felt pretty fine.”

            “Aw, I’m glad. You’re gonna keep going to therapy though, yeah?”

            “Mhm.” Otabek nodded. “I still um… I still need to work through a lot of things about my dad now.”

            “Okay. You know you can talk to me about any of that if you need to, right? You don’t have to, but you can.”

            “I know.” He gave Yuri a squeeze and bent down to give him a proper kiss on the lips, holding him there to warm him up and keep him close.

            “Mm.” Yuri sighed, prodding Otabek’s mouth open and pushing his tongue in. He wanted to just kiss a while like that, feeling out the warmth of Otabek’s tongue and how it moved against his own. He loved how they fit together like that, their teeth occasionally clacking when they’d both move to deepen the kiss at the same time, lips opening and closing to build a rhythm with one another. Otabek’s hands wandered to Yuri’s hips when he moved on top of him and they just laid there in the grass like that, sharing kisses. “I love you.” Yuri whispered. “I’m sorry everything’s been so hard. If this hearing goes well, it’ll all be okay, yeah? And if it doesn’t, we’ll just keep going.”

            “I’m so happy I asked you to marry me.” Otabek breathed, hugging him to his chest and kissing the top of his head. “You’re gonna look so fucking beautiful.”

            “Aw.” Yuri laughed as he nuzzled his nose against Otabek’s. “I can’t wait.”

            Otabek put his hands on Yuri’s cheeks and smacked one more kiss to the center of his forehead. “I love you.”

            “I know, Beka.” Yuri smiled. “I love you too.” He climbed off and laid back on the grass, still snuggled into his side. “Let’s just lay here a little while.”

**

            A romantic motorcycle ride did a lot to ease their nerves before the court date. They met with their lawyer to prepare a bit more, spent a ton of time with Mara, and when morning came, they put their suits on and cleaned up as best they could.

            They hated to leave Mara at daycare on the weekends, but they didn’t want to take her to court. Usually, they would just bring her to Victor and Yuuri’s, but they were overwhelmed with the baby and needed all the rest they could get.

            “We’ll be right back, okay? You’ll only be here for a few hours.” Otabek said, hugging her goodbye. “We’ll take you to the park later if you want. Do you want to go skating too?”

            “Yeah.” She giggled, giving him a kiss on the cheek before he let go of her and she went over to hug Yuri’s leg.

            “Aw, hey Kiddo. We’ll be right back, okay?” Yuri laughed, bending down to kiss the top of her head. “Love you.”

            “Love you too.” She mumbled against his leg before peeling away and walking off to go play.

            They watched her get settled then headed back out to the car, both tense and pretty .

            “I’m really nervous.” Otabek sighed as he got into the driver’s seat, Yuri sliding in next to him. “Do you think this will be the last time?”

            “I hope so.” Yuri said, putting a hand on his knee as he started the car. “Just stay calm. Whatever happens, happens.”

            “Yeah.” Otabek breathed as they pulled away from the daycare and headed uptown towards the courthouse.

            Yuri was feeling pretty anxious himself. His stomach was all in knots and his hands were sweating. He squeezed Otabek’s knee pretty tight as they drove, but he didn’t feel much better about this.

            George greeted them in the courtroom lobby and briefed them a little on what was about to go down. Both sides would make a bit of an argument just like last time only in front of a judge this time, but the judge would also rule on whether or not some of Mara’s interview questions would be considered or not and a few other things George had challenged about his aunt’s case.

            “They’re ready for us, are you guys good?”

            Yuri swallowed a lump in his throat and nodded, grabbing Otabek’s hand as they approached the double doors of the courtroom.

            “You okay?” Otabek asked, giving his hand a squeeze. “You look like you’re about to cry or something.”

            “Fuck, Beka, you know I hate when you say shit like that.”

            “What?” He blinked.

            “It’s embarrassing.” Yuri sighed, taking his hand away and rubbing his eyes. He was just anxious. It wasn’t like he was going to burst into tears in the middle of court.

            “Sorry.” Otabek swallowed. “I um… I-I’m just trying to help.”

            “Um, guys?” George cleared his throat. “I really need a united front from you in there.”

            Yuri sighed. He knew Otabek meant nothing by it, he just felt embarrassed about being upset. “Fuck. Sorry.” He took a deep breath and grabbed Otabek’s hand again, stepping forward to give him a quick kiss on the cheek. “Hey, I’m just a little freaked out okay?”

            Otabek offered a weak smile and nodded, but Yuri still felt shitty for snapping at him. “It’s fine, let’s just go.”

            “Okay.” Yuri said, running his thumb over the back of Otabek’s hand to try and apologize as they all walked inside. He had his head down, a little nervous to see the intimidating court setting, but after just a few steps, Otabek stopped in his tracks. “What?” He glanced up and felt the blood drain from his face. The guy who’d given them the evil eye for kissing in the clothing store was sitting at the judge’s bench. “Shit.”

            “What’s up?” George asked in a hushed voice, turning around to face them.

            “That judge saw us shopping for wedding tuxes.” Otabek said, his eyes wide with panic. “H-He gave us like dirty look when we were being affectionate and it seemed homophobic, he definitely doesn’t like us.”

            “Shit, are you kidding?’

            Otabek shook his head.

            “Fuck.” George groaned. “Okay, we’re just going to have to deal with it. I’ll challenge unfair rulings, just… Just follow me, let’s get started.”

            Yuri’s stomach clenched and he laced his fingers through Otabek’s as they walked to take their seats in front of the judge, Otabek’s aunt and her attorney sitting in the benches on the opposite side. Otabek’s hand was trembling a tiny bit in his grip, so he scootched closer to him. “Are you okay?” He whispered.

            “Yeah.”

            “Are you mad at me?”

            “No, Yura, just… This whole situation sucks.”

            Yuri felt powerless as they watched the arguments proceed. George made the same points as before, that Otabek was a better parent for the trauma he’d been through, that Mara knew him best and loved him, that she’d expressed wanting to stay with him and also that she had a lot of love for Yuri as her parent.

            Otabek’s aunt’s attorney argued again that he was unfit, citing his PTSD, studies that abuse victims were more likely to be abusers themselves, that their finances were unsteady since any mishap in their careers could drastically change their income.

            Every time Yuri glanced over, Otabek looked sick to his stomach and he felt so fucking stupid for being mean to him outside the courtroom. They both needed support right now.

            “I’m ruling Mara’s interview admissible in full.” The judge said and both of their shoulders slumped. “I think that the effects of the guardian’s lifestyle on a young girl is extremely relevant to the decision.”

            “Fuck.” Otabek groaned under his breath.

            “I also have further concerns about the guardian’s mental health. I need to hear more from the child before a decision can be made.”

            “Shit, they’re gonna drag Mara in here?” Yuri grimaced. “She’s too little.”

            George cleared his throat. “Your Honor, would it be possible for a more neutral mediator to reconduct an interview with Mara with any questions you have? Given how young she is, it’s best that she isn’t put on the spot in court with an audience.”

            “I’ll grant that, but the mediation is to be conducted in this courthouse in a private room with the mediator and a court reporter.”

            They both breathed a sigh of relief. They’d have an opportunity to train Mara on how to answer.

            “It’s in the court’s best interest that we question the child here where there’s less opportunity for her guardians to condition her on how to answer.” The opposing attorney said and Yuri cringed.

            “If there are any other questions after the interview with the mediator, we may still bring Mara Altin in to open court for a few questions about her preferences in guardianship.”

            “Is another interview necessary if she’s already stated on record that she prefers my client as her guardian?” George argued and the judge raised his eyebrows.

            “I’ve already decided that it is. Mr. Altin, you’ll have Mara here at the courthouse tomorrow afternoon rain or shine for the interview. Is that understood?”

            “Y-Yes.” Otabek stuttered, nodding his head. “We’ll have her here.”

            “Then we’re adjourned for the day. A date for reconvening will be set after the interview.”

            George cocked his head towards the door and they both stood up to follow him out, Otabek clutching Yuri’s hand tight as they walked.

            “What does this mean?” Otabek asked as they left the courtroom. “I-Is this good for us? Mara can tell them how much she wants to stay with us, right?”

            “It could be good for us, yeah.” George sighed. “I’m worried about that judge though. He clearly favors your aunt, Otabek, but I think we can win this.”

            “Fuck, how much longer is this going to take?”

            “It could be over in the next two weeks, but if he gives your aunt custody, we’ll have to appeal.”

            “Okay.” Otabek sighed. “Can you um… can you send us some notes on how to prep Mara?”

            “Sure thing, are you guys okay?”

            “Yeah.” Yuri nodded although his heart ached knowing their custody was still up in the air. “I think we’re just gonna go spend some time with Mara.”

            “Yeah.” Otabek nodded. “Let’s go get her.”

            They thanked their lawyer and headed out of the courthouse, back to the parking lot. Yuri felt more confused than ever. He’d kill just to know what the outcome of all this would be. What would they do if they lost Mara after everything they’d gone through?

            “Yuri?” Otabek asked when they got to the car.

            “Yeah?”

            “Um… Can I-I um…” His mouth wobbled a little and Yuri got the message, stepping forward to hug him tight.

            “It’s okay, Beka.” Yuri whispered as he squeezed him. “We’ll keep fighting for her.”

            “Thank you.” Otabek pressed a kiss to Yuri’s forehead and held onto him for a little while before pulling back to dig out the car keys.

            Yuri got into the passengers and watched as Otabek started the car. He looked so worried, Yuri wished he could just make that crease between his fiance’s eyebrows go away. He still felt pretty shitty about being mean to him earlier too. “Hey Beka?”

            “Yeah?” He asked, looking back over his shoulder as he pulled out of the parking space.

            “Um, I’m sorry I was kind of harsh earlier, but when I’m upset and we’re in public can you not ask me if I’m crying? I know you’re being sweet, but I just get kind of embarrassed.” Yuri reached over and put his hand on Otabek’s thigh as he drove, just wanting to make sure he knew he wasn’t trying to start a fight.

            “Sure.” Otabek smiled, grabbing Yuri’s hand and bringing it up to his lips. “Thanks for being honest.”

            “Yeah, no problem.” Yuri blushed, his hand a little tingly where he’d been kissed. Do you uh want to take a bubble bath or something after Mara’s asleep tonight? We’re just both so stressed right now.”

            “Sounds good.” He nodded, keeping his hand on Yuri’s as he drove them back towards the daycare center. “We need a vacation after all this is over.”

**

            “Beka.” Yuri whimpered as he eased himself up and down, the water splashing up dangerously close to the edge of the tub. Mara had fallen asleep an hour ago, so he’d dragged Otabek straight to the bathroom for a little stress relief, but as good as it was feeling for him, Otabek wasn’t seeming too into it. The kisses on his neck were lazy and he wasn’t pushing his hips up to meet with Yuri like he usually did. The sex wasn’t _bad_ , but it was pretty below their usual standard. He figured he’d just keep going though. It felt good enough to get there and Otabek was probably just tired, or stressed, or maybe Yuri just needed to do a little more to get him into it. In the back of his mind, he worried that Otabek might be bored, or that he wasn’t looking attractive to him, but he pushed those thoughts back. “Come on Beka, fuck me.” He breathed, letting his head tip back.

Otabek at least rolled his hips at that and nibbled a little more on Yuri’s neck.

“Are you getting there?”

            “Mhm.” Otabek mumbled, sucking lightly on Yuri’s collar. “You?”

            “Yeah, but are you into this?”

            “Yeah.” He shrugged.

            “Beka.” Yuri stopped moving and pushed his shoulders back, so he could see him. “If you’re not comfortable with sex, you have to tell me, yeah? Are you feeling okay?”

            “Fuck. Yeah, I’m fine, i-it’s not the dad stuff or anything.” Otabek grimaced. “I’m sorry. I’m just losing my mind over this custody stuff, you know? I can’t stop thinking about it.”

            Yuri’s heart sank a little at the thought of not being able to distract Otabek even naked and on top of him. “Do you want to stop?”

            “No, I want you to finish.”

            “I mean I don’t want it to be just about me you know?”

            “I’ll get more into it, just keep going.” Otabek said, bringing one hand up to cup Yuri’s cheek as he pulled him into a kiss. He pushed his tongue just past his lips and let Yuri play with it a little, pushing lightly back and forth before reaching down to ghost his fingertips along the length of Yuri’s erection beneath the water.

            Yuri whimpered before he could stop himself and Otabek wrapped his hand around it, tugging in slow strokes to bring him back to where he’d been a minute ago.

            “It’s not like I’m not liking this, yeah?” Otabek rolled his hips to remind Yuri of how hard he was and dropped his mouth back to his neck. “Keep going.”

            Yuri eased himself up and down again and grabbed Otabek’s free hand to place it on his chest, biting his lower lip to keep quiet while he moved. Maybe they needed to spice things up a little bit to keep Otabek more engaged. He didn’t have a lot of ideas for things in the bedroom they hadn’t tried yet, or at least things that they would actually like. Maybe a change in appearance would reignite things a little bit? He’d been thinking about cutting his hair for a while, so maybe he should go ahead and do it. Otabek always said he liked his long hair, but once he saw it short and saw Yuri looking good in a new way, he’d probably drag him straight to the bedroom.

            Otabek let out a low groan and Yuri tightened himself around him.

“Cum for me, Beka.” He whispered, moving himself faster. “I want to feel you finish.”

Otabek buried his face in Yuri’s neck and shuddered when he came, moaning under his breath in a low voice as he pushed up and came into him.

Yuri took the opportunity to go as fast as he wanted and let some of the water splash out as he rode Otabek to his own climax, clamping one hand over his mouth when he finished himself.

“Good?” Otabek whispered, stroking Yuri through the orgasm until he shivered and slumped over him.

            “Mhm.” Yuri smiled as he turned his head to kiss Otabek’s neck, suppressing his worries about Otabek not being too engaged in sex this time around. “Wanna get a little buzzed and watch a bad movie?”

            Otabek laughed and took his hands away, so Yuri could pull off of him. “Sure.”

            They got cozy on the couch after drying off and changing into some warm pajamas, snuggling up under a big spare blanket until they got tired and went to bed. Otabek was a little less tense and fell asleep first, Yuri staying up a few minutes just to look at him. He just looked so cute and relaxed when he was asleep, Yuri couldn’t help kissing him on both his cheeks before settling down to go to sleep himself. He hoped things would start to look up. They’d prep Mara for the interview in the morning, they’d head to the courthouse, then he’d go cut his hair to give Otabek something to be excited about. Maybe for once, things would go their way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yall know im a ho for some comments...


	19. Chapter Nineteen - A Kazakh Christmas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas yall! Break just started so I'll be on the writing grind. Next chapter coming out most likely Tuesday.

            The next morning, they all got up early and put Mara in her best outfit. Yuri did her hair in braids like she loved and to show that they were putting effort into her caretaking especially.

            “So Mara we need to talk to you about something, alright?” Otabek said as they sat down on the sofa, pulling Mara into his lap. “And we need you to be a big girl about it.”

            She tilted her head in confusion. “Okay.”

            “You remember Aunt Katherine?”

            “Yeah. She’s mean.”

            “Okay, well she thinks that you should be living with her instead of us and we’ve been fighting with her a little bit over who gets to keep you. It’s something called custody, do you remember when that lady came over and talked to you?”

            Mara gave a little nod.

            “Well she was gathering information about whether or not this is a good home for you. Tomorrow we’re gonna take you to the courthouse and another person is going to ask you some questions like that, okay? Me and Yuri will be right outside the room, but we want to talk to you about what you’re going to say.”

            “Is Aunt Katherine gonna take me away?”

            “No, Ladybug, we’ll fight to keep that from happening.” Otabek said, rubbing her back and pressing a kiss to the top of her head. “But you like living here, yeah?”

            “Yeah.”

            “Okay, so when they ask you some questions tomorrow, it might be a tiny bit scary, but we need you to be a brave girl for us and tell them all about how you want to keep living here. Tell them about your school and your friends and your ballet class, how much you love me and Yuri. You do love us right?” He smiled, giving her stomach a little poke to make her giggle.

            Yuri’s heart warmed a bit, watching them. He was bad at these types of things, but Otabek just seemed to know the perfect thing to say.

            “Yes.” Mara snickered, trying to bat him away with her tiny hands.

            “They might ask you some things to try and make me and Yuri look like bad people though, okay? So if they ask you if me and Yuri ever fight, we want you to say no. Even though sometimes we do, so does everyone else and we just need them to hear what will help us the most. Can you do that?”

            Mara gave a little nod.

            “And if they ask you about sleeping in the same bed as us, you have to tell them that we do that when you’re scared, or when you have nightmares, okay? Can you do that too?”

            “Yeah.”

            “So if someone asks you, do Yuri and Otabek fight in front of you, what do you say?”

            “No.”

            “Good job.” Otabek grinned. “And what if they ask you if you ever sleep in the same bed with us?”

            “You lemme sleep in their bed after I have nightmares.”

            “Great.” Otabek laughed, hugging her tight and looking over at Yuri. “She’s so smart.” He turned back to her and nuzzled his nose against her hair. “Hey, you know Christmas is in just a few days. We’ll get you something extra special for being so brave, okay?”

            “Really?” She gasped. “What is it?”

            “That’s a surprise.” He said, touching the tip of her nose. “You ready to go? Me and Yuri will be right outside the room just in case you need us, okay?”

            “Okay.” Mara nodded, letting Otabek set her down on the floor. “Should I go get my shoes on?”

            “Yeah Kiddo, tell us if you need help.”

            She ran off and Yuri scootched over to plant a kiss on Otabek’s cheek. “Hey I’m gonna run out and do some errands after the interview.”

            “Okay, good. I’m gonna take Mara and finish up some Christmas shopping for you and stuff.”

            “Aw.” Yuri grinned, nuzzling his nose against Otabek’s. “Hey, I feel good about this. Mara’s a really, really smart kid. She’ll be fine.”

            “Yeah.” Otabek smiled, his cheeks a little pink as he pulled Yuri into a brief kiss. “Thanks for being so awesome lately. Your Christmas present kicks ass, alright? Seriously.”

            “Aw.” He was actually going out after his hair appointment to secure Otabek’s. He wanted to get him some new DJ gear to guide him a little into doing it again. He knew Otabek missed it and they had a little bit of extra time now.

            When Mara came out, they scooped her up and headed to the courthouse, Yuri driving while Otabek sat in the back with her to keep her calm.

            Mara seemed a little intimidated by the courthouse when they arrived, but Otabek carried her inside and they went to the mediation room George had texted them to go to. There was already a social worker present who greeted them and she seemed a lot friendlier than the woman before had.

            “See Mara? Nothing scary. You’re just going to go in there and talk to her for a few minutes.” Otabek cooed, pressing a kiss to each of her cheeks. “Can you be a big girl?”

            Mara gave a shy nod and Otabek set her down, letting the social worker take her into the room.

            “She’ll be fine.” Yuri said, putting his hand on the small of Otabek’s back.

            “Yeah. I feel good about it.” Otabek nodded. “Is there anything you want to do on Christmas besides presents and laying around?”

            “Not really. I’m happy just to spend the day at the apartment with you and Mara. Maybe we should take her skating though since she loves it so much and the rink is all decorated and nice right now.”

            “Yeah, I’d like that. Shit, you know she’s getting really good on the ice.” He laughed. “I kind of hope she sticks with it. I mean I hadn’t even started when I was her age, so the door’s wide open.”

            “Same. Minako says she great in the ballet class too in comparison to the other little kids. I’m gonna start doing yoga with her.” Yuri smiled. “As long as she likes it, I want to help her get ahead you know? Plus, I love any chance to spend time with her.”

            “Yeah, that’d be cute.”

            They took a seat on the bench outside the mediation room and waited together for Mara to come out, a little nervous, but not as anxious as they’d usually be in one of these situations.

            It went on a little longer than expected, but after a half hour, Mara walked out with the social worker, smiling.

            “Hey you, how’d it go?” Otabek grinned as he rushed to pick her up.

            “It was good.” She said, pressing a kiss against his cheek. “Can we go shop for Yuri now?”

            “Yeah.” He laughed, giving a quick wave to social worker and a short thank you before they headed out. “Yuri, do you need the car for your errands?”

            “Hm? Oh no, I can walk. You guys take the car.”

            “Okay, let me know if you need to be picked up or anything.” Otabek said as they walked out. “I won’t peek at what you buy.”

            “No, it’s fine.” Yuri blushed. The hairdresser was just a few blocks down and so was the music store. He’d make it home before them, hide Otabek’s gift and then surprise him with the new hair cut when he got home. “Let’s go, I want to hurry and buy you stuff.”

**

            Yuri was a little nervous going into the hair appointment, but once he saw the result, he loved it. He hadn’t realized how much his hair had been hiding the structure of his face. With it back to a little over chin length, his jaw looked so much more prominent and he felt more masculine. Everything was breezier and it still fell perfectly like it used to. Otabek would love it.

            He headed a few more blocks down as soon as he was done and ducked into the music store, wading past the displays of guitars and drum pieces to the corner with all the electronics and DJ gear. He had to speak a little Russian to get the employee to help him find exactly what he was looking for, but in the end, he spent a pretty big chunk of cash on a new soundboard for Otabek. He used to always complain about not having a proper one, so Yuri bought it and called an Uber to get home since it was so heavy.

            It was tough, but he hid it in the storage closet and covered it up with some of their spare blankets to try and keep it a secret until Christmas. He’d only just shut the closet door when he heard Otabek and Mara coming through the front door.

            “Yura, we’re home.” Otabek called out and he could hear Mara giggling a little behind him.

            “Hey, Beka!” Yuri called back, feeling his cheeks turn a little pink with the excitement of surprising him. “Hey, stay there. I want to surprise you with something.”

            “Oh?”

            Yuri just beamed and ran his fingers through his hair to fix it up before running out to the living room to greet him. “Check it out, I lost like five inches.”

            Otabek’s face fell. “No shit, Yuri, you really did it?”

            “Uh, yeah.” He swallowed, his face warm as he reached up to touch his cheek. “Don’t you like it?”

            “I mean…” Otabek grimaced and walked up to touch his hair. “Shit, I just loved that hair, you know?”

            “Oh.” Yuri’s heart sank. “I-I thought it made my face look better. You really don’t like it?”

            “It’s not that, it’s just…” Otabek shrugged. “I mean, how would you feel if I grew out my undercut?”

            Yuri’s eyes widened. “You _wouldn’t_.”

            “See? You’d hate it too.”

            That struck Yuri right in the gut, his eyes even welling a bit at the words. “You hate it?” His voice cracked a tiny bit and he blushed, biting his lip hard to keep his mouth from wobbling. He wasn’t going to cry over something stupid like this.

            “Fuck.” Otabek rolled his eyes. “That’s not what I meant, Yura. Come on.”

            He’d only cut it to make Otabek excited again. This was how his hair was going to look for the wedding now. He didn’t have time to grow it back and Otabek hated it? He thought it might take some getting used to, but _hate_? He felt so fucking ugly all of a sudden, like his chin stuck out more and his zits were more noticeable without so much hair to frame his face.

            “Yuri?”

            “Just forget it.” He said, turning and walking back towards the bedroom before he could do something dumb like cry over a fucking haircut. Why did Otabek have to be such an asshole? He’d already cut the stupid hair off, it wasn’t like he could put it back. Yuri’s mouth quivered as soon as he shut himself in their room, but he bit his lip hard. He hated being so fucking sensitive.

            “Yuri, come on.” Otabek said, knocking on the bedroom door. “I’m sorry, it just surprised me, okay?”

            “It was fucking mean.” Yuri croaked with his back leaned against the door.

            “Yeah.” He sighed. “Can I just come in and talk to you? I’m sorry.”

            Yuri just glared and turned around to open the door. “You know I felt fucking great about myself when I saw how I looked and now I feel insecure and ugly. I-I care about what you think of me, why do you want to make me feel shitty about how I look?”

            “Yuri, I just didn’t think, okay? You don’t look bad at all, it’s just been a while since I’ve seen you like this.”

            “Yeah, well now I hate it.” Yuri swallowed. “I-I only cut it for you anyways.”

            “What?” Otabek frowned. “Why?”

            “Because you weren’t excited during sex last night.” Yuri said, his voice wobbling. “I-I thought if I changed my look a little that you’d get excited a-and you’d want me and I thought I was starting to maybe look a little too feminine for you and stuff.”

            “Yura, that had nothing to do with you last night. I was just stressed, you know I think you’re beautiful.”

            “Then don’t tell me you hate it when I change my hair.” Yuri blinked back tears and looked away from him. “I mean, fuck, Beka you get so pissed at me for any little thing I say that could make you insecure then you say you hate my fucking hair.”

            Otabek’s shoulders slumped. “I know. I’m sorry.”

            Yuri didn’t even know what he was looking to hear, he was just fucking mad. Everything he did was for Otabek. He was worried that his fiancé wasn’t getting as excited by his body and now he’d made it a thousand times worse by cutting his hair. “When you’re distant during sex, it really fucks me up, Beka. I don’t want you to say yes to being intimate anymore if you’re not that into it.”

            “Okay.” He nodded. “I really didn’t mean to hurt your feelings last night, Yuri. It wasn’t you, my head was just somewhere else.”

            “Your head shouldn’t be able to _be_ somewhere else when we’re having sex.” Yuri sniffled, the tears starting to win a little bit. “I mean you used to lose your mind when I took my clothes off.”

            “Baby, hey.” Otabek frowned, stepping forward and pulling him right into a hug. “Don’t talk like that. You know I’m insane about how you look. You’re the most gorgeous fucking person on the planet. I’m thankful every day that I get to be with someone as beautiful as you and I’d love you just as much even if you weren’t, yeah?”

            “But now you think I’m ugly.” Yuri said, a small sob managing to escape his lips as Otabek hugged him tight. “M-Maybe I can put extensions in or something? I-I want you to like how I look, Beka. I-I don’t have time to grow it back out before the wedding.”

            “Baby, oh my God, no.” Otabek cooed, squeezing tighter. “You look so beautiful right now. I’m sorry. It wasn’t even really anything to do with how you looked, it’s just I got so used to the long hair you know? Not just seeing it, but helping you do it for competitions and dry it and playing with it to help you fall asleep. I guess I can still do all that stuff with this length though, right?”

            Yuri hiccupped and nodded his head before lifting it. “You swear you don’t really hate it?”

            “Of course not.” Otabek reached up and ran his hands through it, smiling as he leaned in to kiss the side of Yuri’s nose. “You know the more I look at it, the more I really like it. I can see your face better.”

            “Yeah?”

            “Yeah, you know you uh… You do look a little more masculine.” Otabek laughed. “Not that I don’t like you being all femme because you know I love it, but uh… it’s kind of hot?” He lowered his voice and raised his eyebrows a bit as he looked Yuri over. “Kind of makes me want to bottom, or at least go down on you y’know?”

            Yuri felt his face turn even hotter and looked away.

            “Hey.” Otabek said in the same low voice, stepping even closer and sliding his hand down to cup Yuri through his jeans. “Full attention tonight. I’m all yours. We’ll celebrate your new look, alright?”

            Yuri pressed his hips forward and bit his lip, listening closely to make sure Mara was still just watching TV. “Promise?”

            “I mean unless Mara wakes up, but she’s been really staying down lately.” Otabek said as he took his hand away, leaning in to plant a kiss on his lips. “I love you. You look great.”

            Yuri wiped his eyes and smiled, feeling a little silly for getting so worked up, but he was glad Otabek was still attracted to him. “Can I make dinner tonight?”

            “Yeah.” Otabek said, leaning in to give him one more kiss before his phone started to buzz in his back pocket. “Oh shit, hold on a second.” He smacked a kiss against Yuri’s cheek anyways then pulled it out to answer. “Hello? Oh Sara!” He grinned. “Are you sure? It’s near the holidays and everything, we don’t want to impose.”

            “What is it?” Yuri whispered.

            Otabek held the phone away for a moment and beamed. “Sleep over invite.”

            “Aw, really?”

            Otabek nodded and brought the phone back, telling her they’d bring Mara right over before saying goodbye. “She’s gonna be so excited, come on.”

            “Wait, wait.”

            “What?”

            “Uh.” Yuri blinked. “I want to share in this moment, but you kind of gave me a boner a minute ago, so if I could uh… have a second?”

            “Oh my God.” Otabek laughed, leaning against the bedroom door frame and glancing down at him. “You make it so easy.”

            “Leave me alone, you know the wind blows and I get hard.”

            “I think it’s cute.” Otabek reached forward and tucked some of Yuri’s hair back behind his ear. “I was caught off guard before, but you look really good. Seriously.”

            “You’re not helping the boner.”

            “Yura.” Otabek snickered, his face pink as he looked away. “You’re ridiculous sometimes.”

            Yuri got himself together after another moment and they ran out to the living room to tell Mara she could sleep over at Anna’s. She actually squealed, which was definitely a brand new Mara experience, but they were glad to see her so happy. They used her backpack for her overnight clothes and smothered her in hugs and kisses before driving her over to Anna’s house. For once, she was excited to jump in the car.

            “Be on your best behavior, okay?” Otabek told her outside the car. “Tell Sara thank you for inviting you over and don’t make a mess. If you get scared and want to come home, just call us and we’ll come get you.”

            Yuri bent down and smacked a quick goodbye kiss to her chubby cheek. “Have fun, okay?” He glanced up at the front door then got on his knees and leaned in close to whisper. “Hey, I know you’re a big girl and everything, but we put some pull ups in the back pack, okay? Use them if you’re worried about having an accident.”

            “Okay.” She nodded, stepping forward to give him a hug. “Can I go now?”

            “Yeah.” Yuri laughed. “Come on, we’ll walk you up.”

            Anna answered the door with her mom once they knocked and the kids went squealing inside. Mara was usually so quiet, it was almost funny seeing her be a little obnoxious. Yuri loved seeing her so over the moon. They thanked Sara a thousand times then rushed back to the car, a little eager to get home to the empty apartment. Yuri chewed on his lip the whole ride there and beamed when they arrived and Otabek tugged him upstairs.

            “Come here.” Otabek breathed, pushing Yuri up against the door when they got inside, dragging his lips down Yuri’s neck. “Tell me what you want.”

            “Fuck me.” Yuri sighed, knocking his head back against the door. “Fuck me, Beka.”

            Otabek dropped to his knees and tugged Yuri’s jeans down before he could blink, taking him deep in his mouth to get him warmed up.

            “Jesus Christ.” He gasped, fumbling to pull his shirt off while Otabek bobbed his head back and forth, pressing his bare back against the front door.

            Otabek pulled off after a moment and stood back up, shrugging his jacket off and peeling out of his shirt while Yuri finished stripping down. “Here.” He wrapped his arms around Yuri’s bare waist and lowered him all the way down to the floor before crawling over him. “You think I’m losing interest in how you look?”

            “Um.” Yuri blushed, feeling the cold floor against his back. It was kind of a nice sensation. He felt more exposed than usual. “Maybe a little?”

            “What do you think I don’t like?”

            “I-I don’t know, there’s some stretch marks on my thighs from the muscles and they’re gross.”

            Otabek raised his eyebrows and slid down, spreading Yuri’s legs and dipping down to kiss the faint purple lines on the sensitive skin.

            “Beka.” Yuri whimpered, his thighs trembling at the contact and his cock twitching further.

            “What else?” Otabek asked.

            “I-I don’t know.”

            “Yeah you do.”

            “My abs faded and it makes me feel like I’m getting fat.”

            Otabek slid back up and kissed down the middle of Yuri’s chest all the way to his abdomen, pressing a few extra kisses around his belly button. Even that made Yuri tremble a little, the cool floor only making his skin tingle more. “What else?”

            Yuri’s face burned red and he brought his hands up to cover it.

            “Tell me, Yura.” Otabek whispered, crawling over him on all fours, so his face hovered right above him. “And let me see you.”

            Yuri took his hands away, but looked off towards the kitchen when he spoke. “I um… I-I worry sometimes that my um… m-my dick is too small for you?”

            Otabek brought one hand up to cup his cheek and made Yuri face him, bringing their mouths together in a deep kiss that sucked the breath right out of Yuri’s lungs. One of Otabek’s hands dipped down to stroke him in careful, loving motions as their tongues intertwined and Yuri started to feel like he could cry again. “You are so fucking beautiful.” Otabek whispered against his lips. “I love you. Every part of you. Do you get that?”

            Yuri nodded and whimpered when Otabek ran his thumb around his tip. “Yes.”

            “You’re fucking gorgeous.” Otabek kissed him again and Yuri just melted for him, hooking his legs over his hips and opening his mouth. He pushed at the waistband of his jeans with his feet until Otabek took the hint and pushed them off. He thought the body worship was over, but before Otabek even got close to fucking him, he spent ten minutes on his nipples, just kissing and sucking, running his hands all over every other inch of him while he did it. Next came the most teasing blowjob of Yuri’s life before Otabek dipped down even further and rimmed him until he couldn’t shut his mouth.

            Finally, Otabek left to go get the lube and Yuri was left on the floor to calm himself down. Fuck, Otabek knew how to make up after an argument. When the actual sex began, Yuri couldn’t shut up if he wanted to. Otabek was slow and teasing, bringing him right to the edge then letting him come back down before repeating and repeating until Yuri came with his mouth hung open in a silent scream, his whole body shivering while Otabek finished inside of him too. He was covered in sweat when Otabek pulled out, panting when Otabek crawled over him one more time to kiss all the hickies he’d left.

            “You feel good?” Otabek smiled, his hair heavy with sweat, something Yuri’s heart thumped at the side of.

            “I love you.” Yuri breathed. “Beka.”

            “I love you too.” He grinned and gave Yuri one more kiss, their tongues sliding together just for one more moment before parting. “Want to hit the shower?”

            “Yeah, just… Fuck, give me a minute.” Yuri laughed, laying back on the floor. “Wow.”

            “I really am sorry for how I acted earlier. You feel better?”

            “I feel better than I’ve ever felt in my entire life.”

            “Aw.” Otabek smacked a kiss to his cheek then pushed himself onto his feet, reaching a hand down help Yuri up. “Can I still wash your hair?”

            “You know just because half of it’s gone, doesn’t mean I won’t moan every time you touch my head.”

            “Oh yeah?” Otabek reached up to run a hand through Yuri’s hair and laughed when he actually shivered again. “You’re adorable. Come on, let’s clean up.”

            “You’re the same way with having your back scratched.”

            “I am not.”

            “Oh?” Yuri raised his eyebrows as they walked to the bathroom together. “You say that now, but when I wash it for you in the shower, you’re gonna get hard again.”

            “Oh my God.”

            Otabek was relentless with reassuring Yuri’s confidence. They spent a full hour in the shower, Otabek washing him all over, kissing him everywhere, massaging every bit of tension out of his shoulders. He dried Yuri’s hair for him when they got out and having Otabek’s hands on his scalp for that long got him to spend another ten minutes making out with him on the bathroom counter before invoking a little self control.

            Yuri slipped into his silk robe and a small pair of underwear for comfort and because he kind of felt pretty then went to go make dinner. “Beka.” He giggled, trying to stir the pasta while Otabek’s hands slid down his sides. “I’m not mad at you anymore, you don’t have to go crazy like this.”  

            “I know you’re not, I just feel a little clingy.” Otabek sighed, lucking his arms around Yuri’s waist. “That was some mind blowing sex too and you know how I get when it’s that good.” He pressed a kiss against the side of Yuri’s neck. “You want to go buy your other tux? We have some time tonight.”

            “Mm, I’m all cozy. Let’s do that while Mara’s at school.” He turned around in Otabek’s arms and smacked a kiss against his cheek. “Wanna find a movie?”

            “Yeah.” Otabek smiled, nuzzling their noses together. “Okay, I fucking love being clingy with you.”

            Yuri laughed when he felt his face turn red. “I like it too. I’m glad Mara’s been sleeping so well and we’ve gotten our sex life back.”

            “Me too.” He reached down and grabbed his ass for a moment, kissing his forehead before pulling away. “I’ll find us something to watch. Want to look at wedding cakes too?”

            “Yeah.” Yuri grinned. “I’ll bring the binder and pour some wine while the pasta cooks, go get comfy and everything.”

            “Got it.” Otabek winked before heading off to set up the couch. “Don’t keep me waiting.”

**

            Yuri loved the little honeymoon phases that came after they shared a particularly magical night together. When they picked Mara up from her sleep over, they all went skating together, practicing their ice dance just for fun and leading Mara around the rink. She was getting better and better. The ballet class was really helping and she seemed to just love the ice. She could do a scratch spin now and skate easily on one foot. Yuri’s heart swelled at all the potential he could see and if he guided her flexibility, she’d be way ahead of the game.

            When they got home, Yuri cleared aside the furniture and laid out two yoga mats for them to practice on.

            “Don’t hurt yourself, okay? I’ll hold you up.” Yuri said, one hand on Mara’s spine as she bent backwards, her arms up in the air. “Just bend back and land on your hands, yeah? I won’t let you fall.”

            “Okay.” She giggled, bending slowly back until she landed on her hands and held a bridge position.

            “Good job! Now arch up your back as best you can.”

            Mara was able to do it a little and Yuri had her hold it for a moment before standing her back up.

            “Don’t break her.” Otabek said, walking out in sweatpants and a baggy t-shirt.

            “I won’t, she’s doing great.” Yuri smiled as Mara clapped her hands. God, he loved this kid.

            “Can you do a split again, Yuri?” She asked in that tiny perfect voice and Yuri stood up, so he could slide himself down into the position. He didn’t know why, but she thought splits were hilarious for some reason and she started giggling every time he did one for her. “I wanna do it.” Mara laughed when Yuri reached out to tickle her.

            “You’ll be able to eventually, but we have to work our way there, yeah? Go as low as you can go without hurting yourself.”

            She nodded and wobbled into the position, holding herself up on her hands and lowering herself within a few inches of the floor.

            “Great job!” Yuri beamed. “Look at you, you’re almost there.” He pushed himself back onto his feet then picked her up, using one hand to tickle her as he pressed a few kisses to her giggling face. “You’re gonna be the prima ballerina, yeah?”

            “Don’t put too much pressure on her.” Otabek laughed, flopping down on the couch and kicking his feet up on the coffee table.

            “She doesn’t _have_ to be a ballerina, but she really kicks ass at it.”

            “Yuri.” He rolled his eyes.

            “She does.” Yuri brought her over and sat next to him on the couch, holding Mara in his lap and leaning in to give him a short kiss. “Any word from George on the next date?”

            “Not yet.” Otabek shrugged. “I don’t want to think about it until we have to. I’m hoping we don’t hear until after Christmas.”

            “You excited for Christmas?” Yuri smiled down at Mara, giving her a little squeeze just because she was so adorable.

            “Yeah.” She nodded. “Can I get a pony?”

            “Aw there’s no room for a pony in an apartment. Santa will bring you something super special though alright?”

            “Okay.” Mara sighed and they both laughed a little. She could be so fucking cute sometimes, they wished they could actually buy her a pony or something.

            “I think it’s time for your bath.” Otabek said, giving her cheek a quick pinch before standing up and taking her from Yuri’s lap. “Can you do dinner?”

            “Yeah, but you accept the risk of having me cook.”

            “Aw, come on. You’ve gotten way better.” Otabek bent down and kissed the top of his head. “I’m gonna get this sweaty lady all cleaned up.”

            “Hey.” Mara pouted and Otabek snickered as he carried her off towards the bathroom.

            Yuri’s heart warmed watching them go and he headed for the kitchen. He should try to make cookies or something special for Christmas, anything that would make Mara excited. This was going to be their first Christmas as a family together. He wanted everything to be perfect.

**

            After school the next day, they took Mara shopping for a Christmas tree. Usually it was kind of a pain in the ass, trying to get a tree into a fifth floor apartment, but Mara was in awe of the whole process. She liked to hide, so they had to hold her hand the whole time, but they let her pick the tree and happily tied it to the top of the car to get it home.

            “Alright Kiddo, ready?” Yuri asked, handing Mara the star for the top of the tree. He waited for her little nod, then scooped her up and lifted her high enough to place the star on top, smiling at how she giggled once she did it. “Good job, Mara.” He grinned, taking her down into his arms and nuzzling their noses together, something that earned an ear-piercing, but adorable nonetheless, squeal. She was starting to be a lot less quiet and Yuri hoped that it meant she was finally really comfortable around them.

            Otabek slid one of the final ornaments onto the branches and smiled over at them. “You guys are so cute.”

            “Of course we are, we’re the prettiest ones in the house.”

            “Excuse me?” Otabek raised his eyebrows.

            “Sorry Beka, but Mara’s number one and let’s face it, Babe.” Yuri walked up and held Mara to his chest as he leaned up to give him a quick peck on the lips. “I’m just the pretty one.”

            “Mm, you are pretty.” He sighed before bending down a bit to see Mara. “Not as pretty as this little one though. You excited for Christmas?”

            “Yeah.” Mara blushed. “How does Santa come in without a chimney?”

            “We’ll leave the door unlocked for him.” Otabek winked, smacking a kiss to her cheek before pulling away to start wrapping the lights around the tree.

            Yuri just stood back and watched him, holding Mara close and beaming at how nice the tree looked. He loved this. Their first Christmas as a family and seeing Otabek look so happy just hanging lights made his heart warm. He kissed the top of Mara’s head and just rocked lightly back and forth while they watched Otabek finish the tree, holding her until Otabek turned the lights on and they could see the finished product.

            “Whooaaa.” Mara gaped. “It’s really pretty.”

            “Yeah?” Otabek laughed as he stood back up, stepping back over to get his arm around Yuri’s waist. “Pretty good for our first tree together.”

            “I love it.” Yuri sighed, rubbing Mara’s back and bouncing her gently up and down like she was a newborn. “Alright Mara, so once you go to bed, you have to try and not get up alright? Santa comes tonight and he might get scared away if you come out.”

            “Okay.” She giggled. “Can I put out the cookies?”

            “Sure.” Yuri set her down and let her lead him by his index finger to the kitchen, getting her a plate from the high cabinet for her to lay the cookies out on. “Go get your pajamas on now, alright? We’ll come tuck you in.”

            “Mmkay.”

            Yuri watched her run off then leaned into Otabek’s side, pressing some lazy kisses against his jaw and neck. “I love you.” He smiled, his cheeks pink when he looked up at him. “I’m really excited.”

            “For tomorrow morning?” Otabek asked, eyebrows raised.

            “Yeah, what else?”

            “You’re underestimating what I have planned for you tonight.” Otabek laughed, giving Yuri a squeeze before he pulled away and cocked his head towards Mara’s room. “Let’s go tuck her in.”

            Yuri’s heart thumped, but he followed and they put Mara in bed together, smothering her in hugs and goodnight kisses before heading out to the living room again. “What do you have planned?”

            “You’ll see. Let’s wait an hour to make sure she’s asleep, then we can put the presents out and I’ll uh… surprise you?” Otabek shrugged and smacked a kiss against Yuri’s cheek. “It’s pretty cold out though, so we can just snuggle until then if you want.”

            “Yeah.” Yuri grinned, his heart warm as Otabek lead him to the couch and they snuggled up together. He liked being small. He pressed himself into the space between Otabek and the back of the couch, hooking one leg over Otabek’s thigh and resting his head on his shoulder while one hand crept just under the hem of his t-shirt to rest on his hard stomach. He kind of liked to feel the fuzz there. It was cute and as much as he loved Otabek’s manscaping, he liked it when he didn’t shave his treasure trail. “You’re always so warm. How are you always so fucking warm when it’s like negative a thousand degrees outside?”

            “I don’t know, but I like being clingy you get when it’s cold out.” Otabek smiled, running one hand up and down Yuri’s back. “You’re always really soft too.”

            Yuri purred a little at that and hugged him a bit tighter. He felt so good for once. He was cozy and felt so completely loved. Otabek was good at making him feel that way even when there were things to worry about.

            They laid there for a little while, the TV on low in the background until they were sure Mara was asleep and snuck to the storage closet to get all the gifts. They both blushed a bit and laughed when they saw the other putting something huge under the tree and it was pretty clear they’d gone overboard with Mara, but they didn’t mind spoiling her a bit. There was barely enough room under the tree for the gifts, so it all kind of spilled out into the living room.

            “You ready?” Otabek asked.

            “For what?” Yuri frowned, busy admiring their awesome parenting. Mara was going to have the best Christmas of her life.

            Otabek bent down and before Yuri could notice, he swept him up in his arms bridal style and started to carry him off towards the bedroom.

            “Beka!” Yuri whispered, clamping a hand over his mouth to contain his laughter as Otabek brought him into their room and kicked the door shut behind them.

            Otabek laid him on the bed as carefully as he could and leaned down for one brief kiss, swiping his tongue over Yuri’s lower lip before standing up and tucking a lock of Yuri’s hair back behind his ear. “I’m gonna go change. You get naked.”

            “Okay.” Yuri laughed, his face red as Otabek ducked into the bathroom. Otabek almost never wore anything special in the bedroom, so he wondered what he might have in store as he stripped himself down, tossing his clothes towards the hamper in the corner of the room. He’d just gotten undressed when the bathroom door creeped open and his fiancé stepped out in red velvet underwear, holding a piece of plastic mistletoe up between his thumb and index finger. “Oh my God, _Beka_.” Yuri snickered, covering his mouth as Otabek walked up.

            He wiggled his eyebrows a bit just to make Yuri laugh and pulled him to the edge of the bed, dangling the mistletoe a few inches above his erection. “Hey, you know the rules, yeah?”

            “You’re such a fucking dork.”

            “A sexy dork.” Otabek smiled, sinking down to his knees and dragging his lips down the insides of Yuri’s thighs. “Merry Christmas, Yura.”

            “Beka.” He sighed as his head tipped back, whimpering when he felt Otabek’s mouth sink down on him. If there was a God, Yuri was going to pray like hell to him in the morning. He’d never been so thankful in his life to have someone like this.

**

            Christmas-themed sex could really knock a guy out. They’d been smart enough to put their pajamas back on afterwards, but it was five in the morning when Mara came bounding into their room.

            “Beka, Yuri get up!” She whined as she jumped into bed with them, shaking both their shoulders. “Santa came! Let’s _goo!_ ”

            “Mmph, Mara let us sleep for five more minutes.” Otabek mumbled, tightening his arms around Yuri as Mara hopped around them. “Don’t jump on the bed, you’re gonna get hurt.”

            “Bekaaaaaa.” She pouted. “Come on, you gotta see what Santa did.”

            Yuri laughed a little and rolled over in Otabek’s arms, nuzzling his nose against his jaw. “We can go back to sleep after.”

            “But I’m so comfy.” Otabek sighed, finally opening his eyes. “Can you make breakfast?”

            “Yes, but accept the risk of it being burnt.” Yuri laughed before planting a kiss on Otabek’s nose. “Come on Sleepy, let’s go.”

            Mara cheered and Yuri hopped up first, scooping her up in his arms to carry her out to the living room. She’d already turned all the lights on and Yuri carried her into the kitchen to keep her from running to open everything while he started the coffee maker.

            Otabek wandered out, rubbing his eyes, and drifted immediately to the couch, curling up there until Yuri walked over and put a cup of coffee on the table in front of him. “Thanks.” He yawned, sitting up and reaching for the mug as Yuri set Mara down. “Mara, go slow okay?”

            “Okay.” She giggled, already reaching for one of the biggest packages to tear the paper off.

            Yuri tucked himself into Otabek’s side and gave him a kiss on the cheek, reaching up to fix his bed head a little. “You feeling okay?”

            “Yeah, just tired.” Otabek smiled, leaning his head on Yuri’s shoulder and shutting his eyes. “I’ll give you your big gift in a minute. I wanna be awake.”

            “Okay.” Yuri wrapped an arm around Otabek’s shoulders and let him rest and sip on his coffee a bit while they watched Mara tear through the presents. It felt good to make her happy. Every time she opened something new, she’d shriek and giggle and every time the tag said it was from them and not from Santa, she’d come running over to hug them both.

            Otabek woke up enough after squeal number ten and got up to dig out one of Yuri’s presents, a small box wrapped in red paper with a silver bow on it. “Here, this is your big one.”

            “Aw.” Yuri gushed as Otabek sat back down next to him, giving him a quick thank you kiss before he went to peel back the paper. It was small, so he figured it would be jewelry, or something expensive like that, but when he peeled back the paper and opened the cardboard lid, there was a watch. He didn’t recognize it for a second, not believing he’d see it again before he picked it up to check the inscription and his heart stopped. “H-How did you find this?” Yuri asked, his eyes welling as he turned to Otabek.

            Otabek shrugged his shoulders. “I was looking for hiding places for some of your other presents and I found that box with some of your grandpa’s letters to you and stuff. I didn’t mean to be nosy or anything, but I saw one that mentioned, you know, just being so proud of you and how he wanted you to have that family watch, but he passed before he could give it to you. Yakov helped me track down some of his stuff and I found it. It’s with the other things from his safety deposit box I guess we all kind of forgot about after the funeral.”

            “Beka.” Yuri croaked, setting the watch carefully down on the table in its box before he turned to hug the life out of him. “Thank you. I-I love you so much, thank you for doing that for me, seriously.”

            “Aw, don’t cry.” Otabek laughed as he hugged him back. “I’m glad you’re happy.”

            “I love you.” Yuri sniffled, wiping his eyes when he pulled away.

            “I know.” Otabek squeezed his knee and planted one more kiss on top of Yuri’s head. “I love you too.”

            “Now my gift for you is super lame.”

            “Aw.” He smiled, rubbing Yuri’s back a bit to soothe the happy tears. “I’ll be happy with whatever it is.”

            Yuri took the heavy wrapped package from under the tree and set it in Otabek’s lap, biting his lip as he opened it.

            Otabek thanked him again and ripped back the paper. “Holy shit, did you get me new DJ stuff?” Otabek gaped as he studied the label on the soundboard box. “Baby, that’s so sweet of you. I honestly haven’t been touching my music lately because I’ve been dreading rebooting all my old shit, thank you.” He set the box on the table and pulled Yuri into another hug. “I love it.”

            “Really?”

            “Of course.” Otabek grinned, cupping Yuri’s face in his hands when he gave him a quick kiss. “You want to see what Mara and me got you together?”

            “Sure.” Yuri blushed, watching as Mara brought him over an envelope. “What is it?” He frowned, tearing it open to pull out a piece of paper on the ballet studio’s letterhead.

            “Minako started a super advanced class with only a few people, so we signed you up. It’s only an hour a week, but we thought you’d like it.” Otabek said as he pulled Mara into his lap.

            “I haven’t done ballet in forever.” Yuri grinned. “Thank you guys.”

            “Can I come watch you?” Mara asked as she crawled into his lap, giving him a hug with her tiny arms.

            “Aw, of course you can. Whenever you want.” Yuri gushed as he hugged her back. “Are you having a good Christmas?”

            “Yeah.” She giggled. “Thank you.”

            “You’re welcome.” He kissed the top of her head and gave her a little squeeze before he looked over at Otabek. “You’re amazing. Go open all the other stuff I got you.”

            “If you insist.” Otabek shrugged, touching the tip of his nose before standing up to gather the rest of everyone’s gifts for opening. “We might be spoiling each other more than Mara.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yall know im a ho for some comments...


	20. Chapter Twenty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hoo wee some victuri drama and some dance recital drama

            The next week seemed to be nothing but court rooms. They went back in front of the judge and even though Mara’s interview had nothing but positive notes for them, the judge insisted he needed more information on Otabek’s mental health. To do that, they had to go to a three hour therapy session together and get a letter saying Otabek was stable. Three hours of talking could really drag up a lot of shit. Otabek talked a lot more about his dad and that lead to a pretty hard to watch breakdown. Yuri thought he’d gotten past it, but he seemed to still be devastated that his parents never took him back before they died. Even if his dad was a fucking child molester, Otabek seemed to still have a tie between his self esteem and his father’s opinion.

            They aired a few things about the relationship too. Otabek admitted he was afraid of being clingy, or overbearing with his mental illness and Yuri talked about how afraid he was that he wasn’t as good a parent and that Mara might resent him when she gets older. It was a pain in the ass to get done, but at least the session had done a lot of good.

            It was back to court after that, where they thought finally, _finally_ they had to get custody, but the judge demanded a character witness. They were fed up and exhausted at that point, but they went straight to Victor and Yuuri’s to ask them.

            “Victor said it was okay to come over, so we’ll just be in and out.” Yuri said as they walked up the stairs to the apartment door. “I don’t want to take too much of their time with the baby and everything.”

            “Yeah of course.” Otabek nodded, stepping forward to knock on the door.

            They waited a moment for an answer, but nothing came.

            “That’s weird, where are-“ Yuri shut up when the sound of Victor shouting came from behind the door, muffled and far away, but just clear enough to understand.

            “ _I can’t even get two seconds of your attention! Why won’t you talk to me?”_

            “Oh shit.” Otabek blinked. “Should we go?”

            “Wait.” Yuri frowned, pressing his ear against the door to hear the sound of Yuuri crying. “Jesus, I think this is serious.”

            “Baby, we shouldn’t eavesdrop. Come on.”

            “I mean what if this escalates? They knew we were coming, it’s fine.” Yuri said, batting him away while he listened.

            “ _I’m exhausted, Victor! I’m the one who gets up a thousand times a night to take care of the baby and you seriously care this much about sex?!”_ Yuuri’s voice cried out, clearly sobbing and Yuri pulled back.

            “Shit, that’s pretty personal.” He winced, pulling back from the door. “Maybe we should come back.”

            “ _Because you make me feel like you want a divorce! You push me away every single time I try to get close. Stop treating me like I’m selfish, I try to comfort you and you shrug me off like I’m just trying to fuck.”_

_“If that’s really how you see this then maybe we should get a fucking divorce.”_

            Both of their eyes widened at that. Nuh uh. There was no way Victor and Yuuri were splitting up on their fucking watch. The door was unlocked so Yuri pushed it open and they stumbled inside to interrupt them.

            Victor and Yuuri were facing off in the living room, Yuuri sitting down in the arm chair crying his eyes out while Victor looked at him with giant eyes and a quivering mouth. Yuri didn’t think he’d ever seen Victor angry before. He looked pissed, but so hurt at the same time.

            “Guys, what the fuck is going on?” Yuri said, his stomach tight at the sight of them. He’d never even heard about them fighting.

            “Shit, I forgot you guys were coming over.” Yuuri sniffed, quickly pushing his glasses to the top of his head and wiping his eyes. “Sorry.”

            “Is everything okay?”

            “It’s fine.” Victor croaked, blinking fast and looking down at his feet.

            “Where’s the baby?” Otabek asked and Yuuri cocked his head towards the nursery.

            “Sh-She’s um, she’s just taking a nap.” Yuuri swallowed. “I-It’s kind of our only down time during the day.”

            “Which is why I was trying to spend some time with you.” Victor croaked, bringing a hand to his mouth to hide how his lips were quivering.

            “Stop saying it like you were trying to be sweet, you were just horny.” Yuuri glared and Victor threw his hands up.

            “Why is that a crime?! I’m a terrible person because I love my husband? Because I thought a little intimacy would help us relax?” Victor kicked the leg of the coffee table and swore, holding his foot for a moment before he jerked up and glared. “You know what? _Fuck you_ , Yuuri. This is what I get for trying to get some fucking attention from you? I’ve done nothing but try to help.”

            The room went silent at that, Yuuri’s eyes quickly swelling up with tears before a sob fell out of his lips and he hugged himself, crying terrible hurt little sobs while Victor stared wide-eyed at the reaction.

            “Beka, take Victor to our place.” Yuri swallowed, nudging him hard in the side. “I-I’ll stay with Yuuri a little while. Can you handle picking up Mara?”

            “Yeah Baby, I got it.” Otabek said, rushing over to take Victor’s shoulder. “Come on, just take a little space okay? Come with me, I’ll bring you back later.”

            Victor just sniffled and nodded, his shoulders slumping. Yuuri was still crying his eyes out and Victor opened his mouth like he was going to apologize, but shut it and ljust et Otabek lead him out of the apartment.

            “Are you okay?” Yuri winced when the door closed, walking over to sit on the part of the couch closest to him.

            “Fuck, I didn’t mean to be so mean to him when he asked to have sex, but h-he’s never said something so nasty like that to me before.” Yuuri hiccupped, tears still rolling down his cheeks. “I-I just haven’t felt attractive since the baby came you know? I-I’m up all night and I’m always changing diapers, or getting puked on, or whatever and I haven’t felt like sex.” He sniffled. “I-It’s nothing against Vitya, but I’ve just been tired and I wanted to just cuddle with him a-and relax you know? But he kept trying to initiate and I snapped at him and now he thinks I don’t love him.” Yuuri wiped his eyes in vain and took some deep shaky breaths. “I-I’m so sorry you guys saw this, I just completely forgot you were coming over.”

            “Don’t worry about it.” Yuri said, grimacing at the sight of him. Shit, maybe he should have been the one to take Victor. He wasn’t great at comforting people and it’d taken him years to perfect consoling Otabek. “Hey, you know it’ll be fine between you guys though right? I mean especially if you both feel horrible. I know Victor does.”

            “H-He was just surprised he said it.” Yuuri sniffed, shrugging his shoulders. “He’s never said anything like that to me.”

            “Well I had never cursed at Otabek, but I did it.” Yuri sighed. “And I felt like shit as soon as I said it. Sometimes stuff just flies out before you can stop it and you don’t really mean it, you’re just upset, but you know… then it’s out there. I’m sure he feels horrible, you know?”

            “It scares me when he gets angry.” Yuuri sniffled, putting his glasses back on. “I-It’s just not like him, you know? He’s sweet and he’s always just super comforting and supportive.”

            “I’m the same with Beka.” He nodded. “Has Victor been making you do all the baby work or something?”

            Yuuri bit his lip. “I mean… I-I kind of do most of it, but he always offers to get up at night and stuff. I just feel bad every time I don’t do something for the baby.”

            “Hm.” He got that. Otabek had been that way with Mara when she first came, like when he hadn’t even trusted Yuri to take her skating, but that was stuff you just had to work through together. “I mean do you just not trust him with the baby?”

            “Am I horrible for feeling that way a little?”

            “No, one time I saw Victor drop a sandwich on the couch and bite his phone.”

            “Oh my God.” Yuuri let out a stuffy laugh. “Yeah he’s done that.”

            “You’re fine, I mean Otabek felt the same way. You’ll feel better if you let him spend more time with the baby though ‘cause you’ll see that he’s good with her and everything.”

            “I guess. I feel shitty for rejecting him so hard though.” Yuuri kicked his feet up on the coffee table and took a deep breath. “I mean you’re a bottom, fuck, do they get how unappealing getting a dick in your ass is when you’ve had like five minutes of sleep in two days?”

            Yuri snorted a little at that. “Yeah, if Beka comes on to me after I’ve been up all night, he’ll lose a hand or something.”

            The baby whined from the other room and Yuuri perked up, listening with wide eyes before the sound faded and she seemed to go back to sleep. “Oh thank God.” He breathed. “Fuck, I’m sorry you guys got all dragged into this. What did you need again?”

            “Uhh, you guys don’t have to do it if it’s a bad time, but we could use a character witness or two for the custody case. You guys just have to come into court and talk about how we’re good parents and stuff.”

            “Aw yeah, we’ll do that. No problem.” Yuuri said, wiping his eyes one more time. “I mean as long as Victor comes home soon.”

            Yuri rolled his eyes. “He’ll be back by tonight if you let him.”

            “Really?”

            “Yeah of course.”

            “Ugh, but he said so much mean stuff.”

            “Well make him wait the night then.” Yuri shrugged. “I’m sure he feels really shitty though.”

            “Would you mind staying a while?” Yuuri asked, biting on his lower lip. “You don’t have to, it’s just that the baby’s gonna be up any minute and I really, really need a shower.”

            “It’s fine.” Yuri laughed. “I like the baby, I’ll stick around for a few hours. Go take a shower.”

            “You sure?”

            “Yeah, it’s fine.”

            “Fuck. Thank you.” Yuuri said as he pushed himself out of the arm chair. “I’ll be fast, yeah?”

            Yuri waved him off and pulled out his phone as Yuuri walked off to the bathroom, dialing Otabek and picking at a tear in his jeans while it rang.

            “Hey, how is he?” Otabek answered.

            “I think he’s fine now. He might not let Victor come back until the morning though.”

            “Okay, that’s still good.” Otabek sighed. “Geeze, seeing them fight was awful. Is that how we looked?”

            “I guess.” Yuri grimaced. “I’m sorry I snapped at you. I mean, I know it was forever ago, but Yuuri’s face when Victor said that to him kind of looked just like yours and um… I feel really bad still.”

            “Yura, that’s totally behind us. Don’t be anxious about it.”

            “I know, it was just kind of rattling watching Victor and Yuuri go at it like that. I mean they’re Victor and Yuuri, you know? They never fight.”

            “Yeah it scared the shit out of me.” Otabek laughed. “Victor’s kind of a mess, but I’ll tell him Yuuri’s not too mad anymore. Are you okay with him sleeping here tonight?”

            “Yeah of course, the guy let us fuck in his guest room.”

            “Stop bringing that up. Are you gonna be home tonight?”

            “I’ll come home soon. I want to help Yuuri with the baby for a little while, but tell Mara I’m coming home okay? She’s kind of like a dog, she never knows when we’re coming back until we tell her.”

            “Oh my God, okay.” Otabek chuckled. “I’m gonna go play Mario Kart with Victor until he stops crying. Love you.”

            “Love you too.” Yuri blushed. “I’ll see you soon.”

            Right on queue, the baby started to cry as soon as he hung up the phone. He was actually a little eager to help, so he hopped up and went rushing to the nursery, smiling when he saw the infant lying in her crib. She’d gotten so big so fast, already with a full head of hair and big chubby cheeks. Her little fists were in the air when he walked up to the side of the crib.

            “Hey you.” Yuri smiled, reaching down to touch her soft cheek. She was so cute, even crying. He picked her up and held her snugly against his chest, bouncing gently up and down. “What do you need Yulia? Uncle Yuri can help if you try to let me know.”

            Her crying softened a bit and she tapped Yuri’s chest with one of her small hands before she let out one more whine and settled down.

            “Aw, were you just lonely?” Yuri grinned, his heart warming. “You’re such a sweet little baby, do you miss your dads already?”

            She chirped in response as if he understood and he practically melted. Fuck, he wished he could just fast forward a few more years. He couldn’t wait to have a baby with Otabek that was all their own. Mara already had Otabek’s DNA, so they could use Yuri’s sperm sample. He kissed the top of the baby’s head and relished in how soft and warm she felt in his arms. He couldn’t wait to be a dad again. Mara had brought so much into their lives that Yuri just wanted to do it again, right from the beginning. Just the thought of having a baby made his heart swell.

            “Let’s go get cozy on the couch, yeah?” Yuri cooed to her as he walked back out to the living room. “I’ll spend time with you for a little while.”

**

            When Yuri got back home, he had baby fever to the max. Yulia was such a little angel, he was just dying to run to an adoption agency.

            “Hey.” Otabek greeted him at the door with a kiss and pulled him inside. “Mara just went to bed if you want to run and say goodnight.”

            “Oh shit, yeah.” Yuri nodded, glancing over at where Victor had passed out on the couch. “Is he good?’

            “He’s fine, just a little drunk and cried out. They’ll work it out and be fine tomorrow.”

            “Okay.” Yuri pressed one more kiss to Otabek’s cheek just because he was feeling affectionate then ran for Mara’s room, opening the door slowly. “You still awake, Kiddo?”

            “Hi Yuri.” Mara peeped, sitting up in bed and waving.

            “Hey you.” He grinned, flicking the light on and running over to hug her. “I’m sorry I missed you today, how was school?”

            “Boring.”

            “Aw well maybe it’ll shake up tomorrow, yeah?” Yuri said, giving her one more squeeze and a kiss on top of her head. “I love you. Get some sleep, okay? I’ll take you to school in the morning.”

            “Okay.” She giggled before lying back down. “I love you too Yuri.”

            “Sweet dreams.” He kissed both of her chubby cheeks and tucked her back in before tearing himself away, shutting the door behind him before walking back up to Otabek and wrapping his arms around his neck.

            “What’s got you all clingy?” Otabek laughed as he hugged him back. “You’re being really sweet.”

            “I don’t know, I just…” Yuri blushed a little and pulled back. “I really liked spending time with the baby earlier.”

            “Oh yeah? Yuuri actually let you take care of her?”

            “A little bit.” Yuri looked down at his feet and shuffled a little. He really, really just couldn’t stop thinking about having a baby, but Otabek wouldn’t want to hear it if he brought it up. Not with everything else going on.

            “So you really do want one?”

            “Hm?” Yuri glanced up.

            “I mean, I know you.” Otabek shrugged, still holding Yuri’s waist. “Even with Mara, you really want to have a baby?”

            “I mean not right this second, but… yeah.” Yuri swallowed. “I think soon.”

            “Okay then.” Otabek smiled. “Let’s do it. After the wedding, the custody case, let’s uh… let’s start looking into it. Maybe if the right baby comes along, we’ll just jump.”

            “Really?” Yuri beamed. “Beka, I’d be so fucking happy.”

            “Well we can sign up with an adoption agency and, you know.” Otabek shrugged. “Unless do you want to do a surrogate?”

            “Maybe, I don’t even know. I didn’t think you’d even want to talk about this stuff yet.”

            “Well, it’s a long process isn’t it? So why not?” Otabek leaned in and gave Yuri a soft kiss on the mouth, one hand reaching up to cup his cheek. “Think about it some more. We’ll figure everything out together. You know it’ll probably be at least a year right? Probably two.”

            “Yeah.” Yuri nodded. “I’m just happy it’s happening.”

            “You know, I’m feeling kind of clingy too after watching the fight. Want to change and watch a movie in our room? Victor’s on the couch.”

            “Mhm.” Yuri gave him a soft squeeze then pulled him right into their bedroom to get something comfy on. He felt elated. Even the prospect of retiring as a skater didn’t daunt him if it was for a baby. He honestly couldn’t believe he was thinking that at all. Not that they’d ever stop skating completely, but they’d take on some other things to make money, compete every now and then, still perform. He changed into his warmest pajamas and crawled into bed with Otabek, smothering him in little kisses before they settled down together with the TV on.

            “I love you.” Yuri murmured, his head resting on Otabek’s shoulder. “I like being a dad with you.”

            “Aw.” Otabek hugged him and pressed a few kisses into his hair, sneaking one hand under the blanket to tickle him. “You’re cute.”

            Yuri batted the hand away and tucked himself under Otabek’s arm. “Is Victor gonna be able to do the character witness.”

            “Yeah, he’ll be fine as soon as he makes up with Yuuri. Don’t stress about it.” Otabek pressed one more kiss to Yuri’s forehead and tugged the comforter up to keep them warm. “I’ll take care of it.”

            Yuri’s heart warmed and he relaxed right into Otabek’s touch. It had been a long time since he’d really felt like Otabek was the rock in the relationship again. Sure, it used to be pretty mutual, but Yuri felt so secure. He didn’t feel worried about Otabek melting down, or anything, he just felt safe. It was a feeling nice enough for him to just shut his eyes and relax completely. Things would be okay.

**

            Yuri drove a teary-eyed Victor back home the next morning and left the two of them to have crazy make up sex while he went back home. They took Mara to school and spent a little time at the rink to stay on their game for nationals and Four Continents, although Yuri might have to miss nationals for a court date. He really enjoyed being on the ice though regardless. Otabek was being especially affectionate after the baby talk and every water break, there he was to smother him in kisses until he got embarrassed.

            He had his first ballet class in a while that night and Yuri had to admit, he loved it. There were only about five others in the class, all around his age, and one other guy too. Minako even let him assist in the instruction when it came to the difficult parts and Otabek brought Mara along when they came to pick him up.

            “Hey you.” Yuri beamed when Mara trotted into the studio, one small hand in Otabek’s as the other dancers left. “How was school today?” He asked as he scooped her up and nuzzled their noses together.

            “It was good.” She giggled.

            “She uh wanted to come dance with you.” Otabek smiled, stepping forward so he could press a little kiss hello to Yuri’s forehead. “Are you too tired?”

            “Of course not, you want to practice for your recital?” Yuri asked, setting her down. They’d run through it plenty of times in the living room, so he knew all of her cute little steps and turns. Mara was getting to dance front and center and even if it was a class for little kids, Yuri could see how good she could be in a few years if she wanted to be. “Minako do you mind if we stay a while?”

            “Hm?” She slung her duffel bag over her shoulder. “Oh go ahead. If you want, the recital music for the little ones is right by the stereo.”

            Yuri thanked her and put the music on, so he could practice with Mara. She was so adorable, going up on her tip toes when he went on pointe and he couldn’t believe how much her balance had improved. The kid could spin around on one foot all day long and never stumble. Otabek stood in the corner, fawning over them a little bit while they danced in front of the mirror, Yuri giving her plenty of encouragement and little tips as they went. He didn’t let her stay too long since she had school tomorrow, but they stayed enough for her to get tuckered out before Yuri changed his shoes and they headed home.

            Mara fell asleep on the ride home and Otabek carried her upstairs, tucking her in before pouring some wine for him and Yuri.

            “So the court date’s on Friday, we have to make sure Victor and Yuuri are ready to come in.” Otabek said as Yuri hopped up on the counter with his glass.

            “Shit, I hope this is the last one.” Yuri sighed. “Wait. Friday?”

            “Yeah, why?” Otabek stopped and thought for a moment before his eyes bugged and he set the wine glass down. “Oh my god, Mara’s recital.”

            “Shit Beka, what time are we supposed to be at court? We can’t miss that. We don’t even have anyone else to take her there and get her ready if we’re at court.”

            “Fuck.” Otabek groaned. “It starts at three. Mara’s recital is at five.”

            “Ugh, we’re gonna have to cut it close.” Yuri grimaced. “We have to take her with us.”

            “Seriously? It’s gonna freak her out. She won’t understand what’s happening.”

            “I mean what else can we do?”

            “I don’t know, Yuri, but fuck, you want to drag her to a custody hearing?”

            “Well do you have a better idea?” Yuri glared, sliding down from the counter. “I don’t want to talk about this if you’re gonna be a dick to me.”

            “Oh my God.” Otabek rolled his eyes. “Yuri we have to talk about it.”

            “Well don’t shit all over my ideas if you don’t have anything better.” Yuri said, crossing his arms. Ugh, he’d had such a good day. Why did Otabek have to be like this every time there was stress? “Don’t be mean to me just because there’s a problem.”

            “I’m not trying to be mean, I just…” Otabek stopped and sighed. “Sorry.”

            Yuri just shrugged. “I don’t know what else to do but bring her, Beka. We’re gonna have to get her ready beforehand.”

            “I guess.”

            “We have a few days to figure it out though can you please just um… You’ve been so nice to me today, I really just want to spend time with you tonight, y’know? I-I had a good day today and I don’t want to be upset.”

            Otabek’s shoulders slumped a bit and he nodded, stepping over to press a kiss against Yuri’s forehead. “You’re right. We’ll figure it out in the morning, yeah? Want to work on wedding stuff?”

            “Yeah.” Yuri smiled, his heart less heavy when he heard the soft tone back in his fiancé’s voice. “I’ll get the binder.”

            They flipped a few decisions about the honeymoon once they sat down and started planning, deciding that France was somewhere they’d already been and would probably go to a lot in the future. Plus, they were getting a little tired of the cold, so Hawaii it was. Otabek found this amazing little place, a beach cabin just a little walk away from a gorgeous waterfall with a lot of privacy. Yuri could already imagine that. Sex behind a waterfall in the middle of a gorgeous jungle, just the two of them, warm water. He could melt just thinking about it.

            “What’s got you all red?” Otabek laughed as he typed away on his laptop, trying to get a timetable together.

            “I mean… I like the sound of that waterfall.”

            “Yeah? You want to have crazy waterfall sex?” Otabek teased, putting his laptop aside and reaching over to tickle his side.

            “Hey.” Yuri batted his hand away and grinned. “Yeah, I want crazy waterfall sex. The one we have around here is too cold and all out in the open and stuff.”

            “We’re gonna love Hawaii I think.” Otabek chuckled as he moved over to kiss the corner of Yuri’s mouth. “We won’t stay longer than a week, so Mara isn’t away from us too long, but I think that’s long enough for us.”

            “A week is fine. A week is great.” Yuri said, running his hands through Otabek’s hair. He just looked so handsome and whenever they did the wedding planning stuff, he got all mushy and felt so in love with him. “Hey we’ll figure out everything for Mara tomorrow. Tonight, I have wedding fever and I want to enjoy all the alone time I have with my husband to be, yeah?”

            “Yeah.” Otabek agreed, pressing a kiss against Yuri’s forehead. “You know what would be really hot right now?”

            “What?”

            Otabek licked his lips and leaned in close to Yuri’s ear, nibbling on it a little and nuzzling his nose against his hair. “Help me stuff fifty wedding invitations?”

            “Oh my God.” Yuri pushed him away and kicked his feet up in Otabek’s lap. “I’ll stuff the envelopes, you lick and close them.”

            “Well I know you love it when I use my mouth.”

            “Bekaaa.”

            “Sorry.” He laughed. “I’ll stop.” Otabek took the stack of envelopes from the coffee table and handed them to Yuri before settling back into the sofa and peeling off Yuri’s socks.

            “What are you doing?” Yuri frowned, stretching for the stack of invites and sliding them into envelopes one by one.

            “Whenever you take dancing up again after a while, your feet get really sore.” Otabek said as he took Yuri’s right food in his hand and rubbed his thumbs against the peak of his arch.

            “Fuck.” Yuri groaned, leaning his head back against the arm rest. “Beka, you’re literally going to give me a boner.”

            “Am I discovering a new fetish of yours?”

            “No, shut up.” He blushed. “I just like it when you do that.”

            “Well keep stuffing envelopes, I’ll lick them all after you’re done.”

            “Stop making invitations sound sexy.” Yuri sighed, slipping a few more invites into their envelopes before he shut his eyes and enjoyed the foot rub for a moment. He’d been really worried about Otabek getting angry over the whole conflict with Mara’s recital, but he was being sweet as ever. “You don’t have to do this. I’m gross and sweaty.”

            “No you’re not, it’s fine.” Otabek smiled, rubbing in nice soothing circles.

            “Mm.” Yuri breathed.

            “They also have a really nice spa right by the beach. I think we really found the perfect honeymoon.”

            “Fuck, you’re gonna make me hard.”

            Otabek tickled the bottom of his foot and Yuri giggled, giving him a light kick in the chest. “You know, I think Mara will be fine at the court hearing. She did that interview at the courthouse ready, I’m sure it’ll be okay.”

            “Yeah she’s a good kid. She’ll behave and won’t freak out or anything if we just talk to her beforehand.”

            “Yeah. Sorry for snapping.”

            “It’s okay.” Yuri shrugged, bending forward so he could reach and touch the tip of Otabek’s nose. “I’m just glad we’re not fighting.”

            “Me too.” Otabek smiled back, grabbing Yuri’s hand and kissing the back of it before he cocked his head back towards the envelopes. “Now get stuffing, Mister.”

**

            Otabek had his first nightmare in a long time after they went to bed that night, a pretty bad one too. Yuri couldn’t get much detail out of him over what it was about, but it was clearly something about his dad again. He felt kind of dumb for thinking Otabek might be over something as traumatic as that so quickly and did everything he could to calm him down. He climbed between Otabek and their pillows, letting him sit between his legs while Yuri rubbed his shoulders and pressed little kisses all over his neck and cheeks, some dumb movie playing on the TV. Otabek stopped shaking eventually, but he seemed more embarrassed than usual about being upset and Yuri hoped it was nothing he’d done to make him feel emasculated or anything. Otabek was sensitive about that stuff.

            “You feel okay now?” Yuri asked, his eyes sore as he hugged Otabek from behind, rubbing his stomach in little circles.

            “Yeah, I think I can go back to sleep. Sorry for keeping you up, I know we have an early practice tomorrow.”

            “I don’t mind, Beka. I never want you dealing with this stuff by yourself.” Yuri dragged his lips down Otabek’s neck. “Do you need to talk about anything?”

            “Ugh, I just hate how this is following me.” Otabek sighed. “I was doing really well, you know? I haven’t had a nightmare, or a flashback, or anything lately.”

            “Well we’ve been distracted. It’s okay, talk to your therapist about it. You see her soon, yeah?”

            “Yeah tomorrow evening.”

            “Okay, well let her know what’s going on.” Yuri leaned forward and kissed Otabek’s cheek, giving him a big squeeze from behind. “I love you. Wake me up if you need me again.”

            “Thanks, Yura.” Otabek said, leaning forward, so Yuri could move out from behind him and they laid down together, face to face. “You’re so sweet. Remember when all you used to do was yell and curse?” He laughed as he ran his hand through Yuri’s hair. “Now you’re such a teddy bear.”

            “Hey I almost punched a guy like a month ago.”

            “Almost.”

            “Beka.” Yuri rolled his eyes and snuggled closer. “You liked me when I was edgy.”

            “Yeah, but I like you now too. I like that you take care of me.” Otabek pressed his lips against Yuri’s for one warm moment, swiping just the tip of his tongue over his lower lip. “And I like when that side comes out of you too. You’re hot when you’re mad.”

            “You’re such a softie when it gets late.” Yuri sighed as he pressed in close and let Otabek wrap his arms around him. “Sure you’re okay?”

            “Yeah Baby, I’m okay now. Thank you.” Otabek murmured, giving him one more kiss on top of his head. “Go back to sleep.”

            Yuri’s heart warmed and he hooked one leg over Otabek’s under the covers, relishing in the warmth. “Sleep tight, Beka.”

**

            They dropped Mara off at school in the morning and smothered her in hugs and kisses to offset the guilt about how risky they were playing it with her dance recital then headed to practice. Yuri drilled hard to keep up with all the changes they’d made and so did Otabek, both of them only taking a few tumbles before Victor and Yuuri came into the rink to meet them for a teensy baby break while a nanny took over for an hour. As soon as they saw them walk in, they all convened on the side of the ice to talk through everything.

            “Okay, so basically you guys are going to go off one by one and they’re just gonna ask you questions about us as parents. Be honest, but stay positive with everything you say, okay?” Otabek said, one hand resting on the small of Yuri’s back as he spoke. “Do you guys have any questions?”

            “Yeah, uhh…” Yuuri bit his lip. “Can we bring the baby?”

            “Of course.” Yuri nodded. “It’ll make you guys look really credible too because, you know, parents know parents.”

            “We kind of have the same issue.” Otabek grimaced. “Mara’s recital is like _right_ after the court hearing. Would you guys mind coming? Would it be too much with the baby?”

            “Aw, we’d love to come. I mean she’s our god daughter after all.” Victor grinned. “We’ll just have to take the baby out if she cries, but we can take turns with that. We’d love to see Mara.”

            “Good because we might be late and I want her to have a lot of support there as soon as we arrive, you know?”

            “Yeah of course.”

            “Just text us any questions you have about the court stuff.” Yuri shrugged. “Are you guys gonna skate?”

            “Yeah, uh… Actually we were super afraid of leaving the baby, but um…” Yuuri blushed. “We think that we’re actually going to finish out the season now. We really love the nanny that we found. Victor is going to compete at Worlds, I’m just going to go to Four Continents and to Japanese nationals, but we’ll take the baby with us to Japan. We love spending time with Yulia, but we kind of missed the ice as soon as we left it. Plus, we realized the salary change would be pretty huge and we need money for her, you know? Do you guys mind if we practice here today?”

            “Of course not. Did you guys tell Yakov?”

            “Yeah he was excited.” Victor giggled. “I love seeing Yakov excited. It’s like seeing a unicorn, yeah?”

            Yuri snickered and nodded his head, leaning a little bit into Otabek’s touch to savor his warmth. The rink was a little colder than usual and it made him kind of clingy.

            “You’re clingy today.” Otabek smiled, pressing his lips against Yuri’s forehead. “All good?”

            “Mhm.” He smiled back, resting his cheek on Otabek’s shoulder a moment. “You’re just warm. You ready to get back to practice?”

            “Yeah.” Yuri said before he pulled away and tied his hair back. It had gotten a lot harder to do that since he’d cut it, but he could still tie it up. “Are you guys okay and everything?”

            “Better than ever actually.” Yuuri shrugged, turning to give Victor a little side hug. “We were just taking on too much with the baby. The balance is better now.” He got up on his toes to give Victor a kiss and Yuri rolled his eyes a little at them although he knew he wasn’t any better at all with Otabek. “Let’s hit the ice, yeah?”

            “Yeah.” Otabek said, cocking his head back towards it as he took Yuri’s hand. “Let me practice that star lift on you one more time.”

**

            When the court date came, they spent two hours just getting Mara ready for the recital, making sure she knew that they cared a hundred percent about it. Yuri added some extra bedazzles to her costume and did her hair while Otabek kind of just watched and provided support. Arts, crafts, and hair styling weren’t his strong suits. It had taken at least a year for him to learn how to do Yuri’s. They explained to her exactly what was going to go down, that if the judge ruled that she would go with their aunt, they would fight it and she wouldn’t have to go before a lot of paperwork and more courtroom meetings happened. She seemed to understand, but was distracted enough by the upcoming recital and her outfit for it, so they felt pretty okay.

            “You ready to do this?” Yuri asked, tightening Otabek’s tie.

            “I feel good about it. I mean what more can we do, yeah? Her interview was great, we have two really good character witness. I’m stressed about being late to Mara’s show, but we’ll worry about that if we come to it. Let’s do this.”

            “That’s my Beka.” Yuri smiled as he got on his toes to kiss him. “Let’s go kick some custody case ass.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for the late update! more to come soon!


	21. Chapter Twenty-One - Dance, Dance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Woo custody time folks!

            Victor and Yuuri met them in the courthouse lobby, baby in tow, and they’d dressed Yulia in the cutest little pink dress that just had Yuri swooning while Victor and Yuuri gawked just as much over Mara.

            “Beka, look at her oh my God, those cheeks.” Yuri gushed when Victor let him hold the baby, carrying her gently in his arms and rocking back and forth.

            “Yeah, she’s pretty cute.” Otabek laughed, bending down to pick up Mara. “Soon she’ll be your new play date, yeah? She’s getting big pretty fast.”

            “Yeah.” Mara giggled, waving at the baby. “Hi Yulia.”

            “We gave her a baby Tylenol, so she’s pretty docile.” Yuuri smiled as he walked forward and took the baby back. “You guys ready?”

            “Mhm.” Otabek nodded, pressing a little kiss to Mara’s forehead. “We’re just hoping it doesn’t take too long, so we can get to Mara’s recital on time.”

            “Well we’ll rush right along with you.” Victor smiled, reaching out to give Mara’s cheek a little pinch. “We can’t wait to see you dance. Are you ready?”

            “Uh huh. Yuri practiced with me.” She nodded and Yuri’s heart swelled a tiny bit. He loved that their kid loved to dance and he loved that he thought of her like a daughter now.

            “You feel ready, Kiddo?” Yuri asked and she nodded again, a big smile on her face. He hoped to God they wouldn’t be late.

            “Here Baby, you hold her.” Otabek said, handing Mara over to him, so he could have her close.      

            “Hi.” Mara giggled, giving Yuri a kiss on his cheek that made his heart completely melt. Was there a single kid on the planet sweeter than this one?

            “We should go meet the lawyer.”

            “Yeah.” Yuri nodded, rubbing Mara’s back as they lead Victor and Yuuri to the courtroom. They headed inside to meet George, for once being the first to arrive. “Hey, how long do you think this will take?” Yuri asked as they all took a seat on the front bench to wait.

            George pushed his glasses on top of his head and shrugged, looking towards the empty judge bench. “Two hours max?”

            “Shit.” Yuri sighed. “Mara’s recital is at five.”

            “Are we gonna be late?” Mara peeped and Yuri shook his head, holding her in his lap and kissing the top of her head.

            “No Sweetie, we won’t let that happen. Don’t worry, okay? Let us do that for you.”

            Otabek wrapped an arm around Yuri’s shoulders and made some small talk about the baby while they waited for everyone else. Yuri felt pretty okay about everything. It couldn’t really take two hours just to hear from two people, could it? Maybe the judge would take a while to make a decision. He pressed a little into Otabek’s side and sighed, relishing in the warmth of him. He really hoped they wouldn’t be late to the recital. It meant too much for Mara.

            After a few minutes, Otabek’s aunt and her attorney took their place in the courtroom as well and they stopped talking, Otabek holding Yuri close while he held Mara. Victor and Yuuri seemed a bit nervous too, but at least the baby was being calm. Yuri was a little jealous of her.

            When the judge entered the room and the court reporter and bailiff took their places, Yuri’s stomach churned. This could really be it. They could lose Mara if it didn’t go their way.

            The judge called for Victor first and Yuri grabbed Otabek’s hand as he walked up and was sworn in. Otabek was pretty tense too, but Yuri didn’t want to say anything. The judge was looking for any excuse to take their custody. He did hook his ankle around Otabek’s though as soon as he saw the other attorney approach Victor.

            “Mr. Nikiforov, do Otabek and Yuri often go out of town?”

            “Occasionally.” Victor shrugged. “It’s part of their job.”

            “So Mara’s left with a nanny most of the time?”

            “Not at all. Me and my husband are her God parents, so she usually stays with us.”

            “You and your husband?”

            Victor stopped and blushed for a moment. “Y-Yeah, we were married in Japan and have shared custody of our daughter.”

            “So Mara is constantly surrounded by men?”

            “No, she spends a lot of time with Mila, who’s a family friend, and Yuuri’s sister Minako. She teaches Mara’s ballet classes and Mila babysits and helps with her skating.”

            “He’s doing good.” Otabek whispered, giving Yuri’s hand a squeeze. “I think we’ll be fine.”

            “Do Yuri and Otabek ever fight?” The lawyer asked and Victor shrugged his shoulders.

            “Hardly ever. Never in front of Mara.” He answered. “They’re really happy together.”

            They thought that would be about it for the questioning, but the lawyer just kept going on and on, asking about every little thing. He asked if Mara ever talked about having friends, if she was happy at school, how many hours a week she seemed to spend at daycare. Yuri’s heart started palpitating when he glanced down at his watch. It was already four and they had to leave by four-thirty to make it to Mara’s show on time.

            By the time they called Yuuri up, it was four-fifteen.

            “Is it supposed to take this long?” Victor asked as he sat down with the baby and Yuuri went to take the stand.

            “I didn’t think it would be like this, but he can’t have that many questions for Yuuri, can he?” Otabek winced. “Shit.”

            They watched in agony as the attorney grilled Yuuri on even more details. How often did she share a bad with Yuri and Otabek, does she wish ever mention wanting a mother, and dozens of other BS questions. Yuuri gave great answers every time, but he didn’t get off the stand until four forty-five.

            “Fuck, we’re gonna have to speed there.” Yuri said, making a mental note to stop cursing in front of Mara after they got over this last stressful hurdle.

            The judge cleared his throat and they all perked up, Yuri and Otabek gripping each other’s hands in a death lock. “I think I have enough information to make a decision. Mr. Altin, please step forward.”

            Otabek nodded and hurried to get up, walking out in front of the judge.

            “I heavily disagree with your choice of lifestyle and I do not think it’s the best environment for a young girl.”

            Yuri felt a lump form in his throat and hugged Mara tight, scootching closer to Victor.

            “However, I don’t think that there is substantial evidence that it’s actively harmed the child in any way and I do not agree with uprooting someone so young who’s already been through severe trauma. Mr. Altin, you’re retaining custody. Court is adjourned.”

            “Holy shit.” Yuri beamed, using his free arm to yank Victor in a hug first then moving down to Yuuri. “Thank you guys so much, we owe you a ton for doing this for us.”

            “Aw no worries.” Victor laughed. “Come on, we have to get to her recital.”

            “Oh shit, yeah. Follow us there okay?” Yuri said before turning to thank George for everything and bolting to grab Otabek and haul ass out of the courtroom. “We have to be there in ten minutes and it’s fifteen minutes away, so gun it yeah?”

            “Got it.” Otabek said, running alongside him with Victor and Yuuri trailing behind with the baby.

            They rushed to the parking lot and strapped Mara in before speeding off towards the amphitheater. Fuck, five o’clock was like the latest they could arrive too. They should have technically had her there by four-thirty, but they could deal with Minako being a little annoyed. As long as she got on stage on time, they were fine.

            Otabek went well over the speed limit, but they seemed to hit every red light and by the time they’d made it halfway there, it was already four fifty-five. “Why is our luck like this?” Otabek huffed as he stared at the red light. “Come on.”

            “It’s okay, we’ll just have to get there when we get there.”

            Otabek white knuckled the wheel until the light turned green then gunned it hard enough for Mara to whimper from the backseat. “Shit, sorry Mara. You okay back there?”

            “Can we slow down?” She peeped.

            “Sweetie, we have to get to your show on time.”

            “I wanna slow down.”

            “Okay.” Otabek took a deep breath and dropped back down to the speed limit. They both knew having Mara upset, or throwing a tantrum before she had to go on stage would be a worse disaster than showing up late.

            Yuri put a hand on Otabek’s thigh to try and ease some of the stress of the situation, but it was already five till. They seemed to be hitting every single red light too and Otabek couldn’t speed too much without making Mara anxious. He gave Otabek a kiss on the cheek at the next red light and reached back to hold Mara’s hand, so she’d be calm when Otabek sped through the intersection at the green light.

            By the time they arrived with Victor and Yuuri swerving in behind, it was 5:05. “Shit they’re supposed to go on five minutes ago.” Otabek swore as he hurried to undo his seatbelt and jump out of the car.

            Yuri followed and let Otabek scoop up Mara before they dashed inside, Victor and Yuuri heading for the seats while they sprinted for the backstage area. Thank God they’d put her in costume before the court hearing. They went running down the hall of the amphitheater, past the dressing rooms, until they could burst into the backstage area, panting.

            Minako stood with her small crowd of young ballet students and sighed when she saw them. “You know we’ve all been waiting on you guys.”

            “Sorry. Custody hearing.” Otabek breathed, setting her down with the other kids. “Are we good? Does she need anything else?”

            “No, we can go on now that she’s here, so just get to your seats.”

            “Thank you so much for waiting. Seriously.”

            “Well it’s you guys, so.” She shrugged. “Don’t worry about it. Yuri’s been helping around the studio anyways.”

            “Thank you.” Yuri said, kneeling down to kiss the top of Mara’s head. “Go kill it, Kiddo. We’ll be front row with Victor and Yuuri.”

            “Okay.” Mara giggled. “Bye.”

            He gave her one last squeeze then followed Otabek to the stairs in the wings, heading right down into the seating area where they had four reserved seats in the front. There were some older dance students from the studio performing too, with the little kids starting the show, so the whole thing got treated like a real performance. Victor and Yuuri were already in their seats with the baby, so they rushed over and joined them.

            “She make it okay?” Yuuri asked and Otabek nodded, breathing a sigh of relief as he settled down in his seat and reached over for Yuri’s hand.

            “Just barely. We’re all good.”

            “Thank God about the custody, yeah? Is it all over now?”

            “Yeah.” Otabek smiled. “She’s all ours.”

            The show started just a minute later and Yuri stayed close to Otabek, both of them beaming when Mara’s group took the stage. She was front and center, right next to Minako as they lead the group together. Of course they were so little that the dance wasn’t much, but they couldn’t have been prouder. Yuri filmed it all on his phone and the baby never even whined during the show. Afterwards, they even spent the extra money to get all the professional photos the studio had taken. They had no photos of Mara around the apartment, so they could decorate the living room.

            Yuri was still bursting with pride as they left the amphitheater and all five of them went to meet up for ice cream just to celebrate.

            “We’ll get you whatever you want. You did so good today.” Yuri beamed as he carried Mara into the ice cream shop, kissing her little cheek as he brought her up to see the flavors.

            “Don’t go crazy.” Otabek laughed, Victor and Yuuri walking up behind him.

            “Aw, I think Yulia’s finally getting fussy.” Yuuri said as she fussed in his arms. “Vitya, you want to hold her?”

            Victor’s eyes lit up at the offer and he nodded, taking the baby from Yuuri’s arms and cooing to her. “She can have a tiny bit of ice cream. Get soft serve.”

            “Okay.” Yuuri gave Victor’s arm a squeeze then joined Yuri to order.

            They all sat in a round booth in the corner with the kids and gushed over Mara’s performance. They were all embellishing a little bit, but they wanted to encourage Mara to keep dancing and everyone was elated over the custody decision.

            “I love you.” Otabek said, an arm locked around Yuri’s shoulders. “Let’s find an adoption agency.”

            Yuri’s heart thumped. “Really? A-Already?”

            “Do you want to?”

            “Yes.” He beamed as he threw both arms around Otabek.

            “Whoa, what’s got you two going?” Victor asked as Yulia squirmed around in his arms.

            “Uhh.” Yuri bit his lip and glanced over at Mara. “Hey Mara, what would you think about having a baby brother or sister?”

            Her mouth dropped open. “Really?!”

            “Sure.” Yuri smiled, leaning down to kiss the top of her head. “Not for a little while, but would you like that?”

            “Yeah! Can I have one?”

            “Mhm. Soon.”

            “You guys are getting a baby?!” Victor handed Yulia to Yuuri and clapped his hands together. “Congrats!”

            “We’re only just starting to look into it.” Otabek shrugged. “But, yeah. Sounds like.”

            “I can’t wait.” Yuri said, leaning his head on Otabek’s shoulder. “Hey Yuuri, are you going to Four Continents?”

            “Yeah, Vitya’s gonna stay back with Yulia.” Yuuri nodded. “Are you on for nationals?”

            “Yeah are you gonna come watch?”

            “Of course. I love when you and Victor face off.”

            “Me and Yuuri will cheer you guys on.” Otabek said before pressing a kiss to Yuri’s forehead. “We should probably get going. Mara needs a bath and we should make a real dinner.”

            “Yeah, alright.” Yuri said, taking a napkin to wipe Mara’s face. “See you guys at practice tomorrow?”

            “Sure.” Otabek said as he scooped up Mara, sliding out of the booth so Yuri could get up. “See you guys.”

            They all said their goodbyes and cleaned up part of the mess Mara had made before heading their separate ways. Yuri felt elated. Mara’s performance had gone beautifully, they’d won the custody case, they were going to have another baby. Yuri couldn’t wait for their lives to really start. He felt great about nationals too. Victor was more out of practice than him, so for once he’d probably win.

            When they got home, they gave Mara a bubble bath and read her a longer story than usual before tucking her into bed. They must have told her a thousand times how well she did in the show, but Yuri wanted her to feel encouraged to continue.

            As soon as they shut the door on her, they went to the living room to finish up some wedding planning. They’d do it right at the start of the off season now. Mara would fly back from Japan with Yuuri and Victor, so they could go on the honeymoon right away.

            “Alright all that’s left is picking out the cake and buying your second tux. Wanna do both after practice tomorrow?” Otabek asked as he closed the wedding binder.

            “Sounds perfect.” Yuri grinned, laying himself down on the couch with his head in Otabek’s lap. “Today was so perfect.”

            “Yeah.” Otabek laughed, bending down to kiss the middle of Yuri’s forehead. “You’re gonna kill it at nationals.”

            “You think?”

            “I know.” He ran his hand through Yuri’s hair. “I feel really good right now. Like not anxious or anything, just really happy.”

            “I’m glad, Beka.” Yuri smiled as he pushed himself up, pressing a few kisses to Otabek’s cheek and jaw. “What do you feel up to?”

            “I don’t know, I kind of feel like tonight should be special, yeah? Can you think of anything?”

            “Hm.” Yuri bit his lip. “I think I have one idea?”

            “Yeah?”

            “What if uh… What if while you’re fucking me we put in the vibrator?”

            “In me?”

            “Mhm.” Yuri blushed. “You’ll have to blow me a little first, so I’m closer because you won’t last long like that.”

            “You sure we can keep quiet doing it like that?”

            “We’ll find out, I guess.” Yuri laughed as he got off of the couch. “Come on, I want to see how long you last.”

**

            Yuri had fun being the dominant one for once. As soon as he had Otabek prepared with the toy, he rode his daylights out. They had to stuff a pillow under the door frame and turn on the baby monitor in case Mara came knocking and to keep her from hearing anything because Otabek couldn’t shut up.

            Yuri bounced himself up and down while Otabek moaned and writhed beneath him, bucking his hips up against Yuri’s ass and dragging his nails down his back. It did feel special. They were both so happy and relieved and it drove Yuri wild watching Otabek so uncontrollably aroused.

            “Yura, I’m right there.” Otabek whimpered, his forehead and chest beaded in sweat. “I-I can’t hold out any longer.”

            “Cum in me, Beka. I-I’m there too.” Yuri gasped, feeling Otabek’s grip tighten on his cock. The whirring sound of the vibrator made him shiver as Otabek bucked up against him until his hips twitched and the nails on his free hand dug into Yuri’s hip.

            “ _Fuck_.” Otabek choked when he came, emptying himself deep inside Yuri as he sat himself up to hide his face in Yuri’s neck.

            Yuri wrapped an arm around Otabek’s shoulders to stay steady and pulled back, so Otabek couldn’t hide his face. Yuri loved that expression. The way his eyes squeezed shut and his mouth hung open. “Finish me, Beka.” He panted when Otabek started to come down, leaning in to kiss him deeply while the hand on his cock started to pull faster. When he came, he bit down on his fist to keep his mouth shut and rolled his hips against Otabek’s hand, trying hard not to let loose every swear in his vocabulary.

            As soon as he came down, he climbed out of Otabek’s lap and removed the toy, laughing a little as he turned it off. “You really liked that.”

            “Yeah, holy shit.” Otabek breathed as Yuri got up to clean it and put it away. “Wow.”

            Yuri shut it in the drawer then crawled back onto the bed, laying himself over Otabek between his legs and pressing a line of kisses down his neck. “I love you.”

            “I love you too.” Otabek sighed as he wrapped his arms around Yuri. “I’m so glad that nightmare is over. Can I ask you something?”

            “Yeah, sure.”

            “What do you think about moving up a few floors to a bigger apartment? We’ll need a nursery for the baby and we’re out of room here. Plus, we’re kind of cramped in with all my DJ stuff and the trophies and all. Mara could use more space to play.”

            “Seriously?” Yuri grinned. “Yeah, of course. That’s a great idea.” He turned his head and gave him another kiss, stroking one hand down Otabek’s side. “I know we have to get dressed in case Mara wakes up, but if I bring the baby monitor into the bathroom, can we take a quick shower?”

            “Sure, just let me hold you another minute.” Otabek breathed, nuzzling his nose against Yuri’s cheek. “You’re all warm right now.”

            “I’m pretty gross right now too.”

            “Yeah, but that part’s my fault.” Otabek gave him one more squeeze and planted a kiss on the top of his head. “Let’s go clean up.”

            “You want to have a Mario Kart tournament afterwards?”

            “Only if you feel like getting your ass kicked.” Otabek smiled as Yuri got up. “We can break some wine open too.”

**

            Yuri felt like a new chapter had begun over the next few days. They’d practice during the day, pick up Mara, and if it was one of his ballet nights, he’d head to the studio. They even talked to the landlord and started on moving up to a bigger apartment. In the end, they decided it was best not to leave Russia. Mara had roots there and friends and there were tons of orphans in need of a home. This time around, Yuri would be the legal parent. A surrogate had sounded nice considering Mara already had Otabek’s DNA. It’d be nice to have a baby with Yuri’s, but after talking it over, they decided it would be best to adopt.

            The day before nationals, they got registered with an agency. They told them all about their situation with Mara, with their relationship, got all the legal things sorted out then went through exactly what they were looking for. If a baby came in that needed a home right away, they’d be called. Thanks to everything they’d gone through with Mara and the custody case, there was hardly any vetting Yuri had to go through to get approval too.

            Competing without so much pressure was incredible too. Yuri lead by four points after the short program. Victor had taken the title every single year since he started competing as a senior and he was one clean free skate away from finally being the national champion. Otabek and Mara were adorable too, cheering him on. Thank God their home rink was hosting nationals, so they were ten minutes from home too. Yuri really couldn’t be happier.

**

            “You ready for this?” Otabek asked as they stood on the side of the rink, Mara in one arm as he used his free hand to fix Yuri’s hair a bit. “I know you have a lead, but don’t get cocky okay?” He laughed. “Just try your best. I know you’ll win this one.”

            “Thanks Beka.” Yuri grinned as Victor finished his program on the ice beside them, the crowd roaring with each landed element. “I feel good about it.”

            “You’re gonna do great, Yuri.” Mara beamed, reaching one little arm out until Yuri stepped forward and hugged her.

            “Thanks Kiddo.” Yuri sighed as Victor finished up. “You guys are sweet for coming out.”

            “Well we are the Yuri Plisetsky cheer team.” Otabek shrugged and Yuri rolled his eyes.

            “Plisetsky-Altin, Beka.”

            “Not for another two months.”

            Yuri snickered and looked around for cameras before leaning in to kiss his cheek. “Use it anyways.” He heard Victor finish up and left Otabek and Mara for a quick moment to say hi to Yuuri who was waiting for him, the baby swaddled up in his arms. “Hey, how’s she doing?”

            “She’s a little fussy, but I think she’s warm enough.” Yuuri smiled, pressing a kiss to the baby’s forehead. “I wanted to come see Vitya perform since, you know, we’re kind of winding down career-wise. He’s hardly had any practice, you’ll probably win today.”

            “Yeah, don’t jinx me.” Yuri said as Victor came off the ice. “Looks like I’m up. Stick around after okay? You guys can come over a while if you want.”

            “You want to play with Yulia again, huh?”

            “A little.” He blushed as Victor came up and gave Yuuri and the baby a kiss. They looked so adorable together with that little baby, he just couldn’t wait for him and Otabek to have one of their own.

            They called his name on the PA and he rushed over to give Otabek and Mara one more hug before kicking off his skate guards and heading out onto the ice. The best thing for him to do was put all pressure out of his mind and focus on the music. He skidded to a quick stop center ice and shook his hair out for a moment while he waited for his queue.

            When the music swelled, Yuri just tuned right into it, dancing across the ice and grinning whenever he looked over and made eye contact with Otabek. Everything was going so right. Even if he blew this performance somehow, it’d all be fine. Everything was fine. He hit his first quad without a hitch and went right into footwork, feeling to cool air flip his hair back as he picked up speed.

            At some point in the program, his mind just went blank and he relied on muscle memory, just enjoying the feeling of being on the ice with a home crowd and no major consequence for losing looming over his head. Yuri went into a quad salchow with ease and laughed a little when he landed. It had actually been smoother than he usually got in practice. He almost gave in a little bit to the good mood, tempted to blow Otabek and Mara a kiss when he skated by them, but maintained his choreography instead, gliding right into a deep spiral position. He loved how much more flexible he was than the competition.

            When he went into his final spin, the grin was still plastered on his face and he beamed when he finished with his music. His cheeks pink as he waved to Otabek from center ice, the crowd roaring. He’d done almost as well as he had at the finals.

            “You were perfect.” Otabek said when Yuri stepped off the ice, giving him a hug with his free arm.

            “Thanks Beka.” He smiled, holding back his urge to kiss while the cameras were still on them. He did give one to Mara though just to hear how she giggled in response. “Kiss and cry?”

            “Yeah.” Yuri said as he put an arm around Otabek’s waist to walk to the kiss and cry. “Come here, you.” He said when they sat down, taking Mara and holding her in his lap. “You having fun? It’s close to bed time for you?”

            “I like it here.” She giggled. “Did you win?”

            “We’re about to find out.” Otabek laughed, giving Yuri’s waist a subtle squeeze. “You’re gonna do great.”

            “Thanks Beka.” Yuri looked up at the scoreboard and bit his lip, his heart thumping as he waited for his numbers. A national title would be amazing to have before potentially retiring to care for a baby. Still, he couldn’t believe he was thinking about doing that, but nothing made him happier than thinking about a baby on the way.

            “ _The score for final skater Yuri Plisetsky… Two hundred and four! Total score three hundred and five point three seven. He moves to first place.”_

            “Holy shit.” Yuri laughed, wrapping his arms around Otabek and Mara. “I’m so fucking happy. I love you guys, thanks for coming.”

            “Aw, Baby we’re always gonna come out and support you.” Otabek said back, hugging him tight while Mara did the same with her tiny arms. He lowered his voice a moment once the cameras turned off of them, so he could lean into Yuri’s ear. “You know our bed in the new apartment isn’t too broken in yet. Celebrate?”

            “Yeah.” Yuri breathed, his heart still pounding. He’d finally won a national title over Victor.

            “Go get your medal, we’ll be right be here.” Otabek said, standing up with Mara. “Do you want to change after or just put a jacket on and head home?”

            “Jacket. This one needs to get to bed.” Yuri said, poking the tip of Mara’s nose before he turned to head for the podium. He was never gonna let Victor live this one down.

**

            “So are you happy with everything?” Otabek asked when he wrapped his arms around Yuri that night, both of them undressed and slightly sweaty from a little bit of celebrating.

            “Yeah.” Yuri sighed, leaning his head to the side, so Otabek could continue to kiss his neck. “Mm, I think everything’s perfect now. We’re getting married, there’s a baby coming, Mara’s happy. Plus I finally beat Victor at nationals.” He laughed, blushing a bit when Otabek sucked a hickey onto his skin. “I love this new bedroom too.”

            “Me too, holy shit.” Otabek grinned. “I mean, this new bed is huge and Mara has so much more room to play. It’s nice to not have to move the coffee table to do yoga in the living room and stuff too.” He ran his hand down Yuri’s side to his hip and squeezed, stroking his fingers along the smooth skin of his thigh. “Alright I know this is crazy, but you know how I get when you win stuff.” He turned his head and gave Yuri a kiss on his jaw. “Round two? You can top me this time.”

            “Seriously?”

            “Yeah, that haircut makes me want to kind of submit to you, you know? Plus you have crazy abs right now.” Otabek said as he stroked his index finger down the middle of a faint six pack. “Fuck me?”

            “Okay.” Yuri grinned, pushing Otabek onto his back and reaching to their new nightstand to grab the lube again. “Good luck lasting more than five minutes.”

            “Hey.”

            “Sorry.” He snickered, draping himself over Otabek and kissing the center of his forehead. “Six minutes.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hooo wee next chapter hopefully up by tuesday! Maybe wednesday?


	22. Chapter Twenty-Two - Claws

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Their little family wouldn't be complete without a certain someone in the mix!  
> Yuri is a sweet dumb boy who's doing his best

            The new apartment and the encroaching wedding date ushered in a new little honeymoon phase. The sex was better than ever and frequent, they were spending all their free time with Mara, and finishing some final touches for the wedding. Yuri had taken to waking up every morning to make breakfast just to see how Mara and Otabek would come running out when he said it was done.

            “You’re going to the early ballet class today, yeah?” Otabek asked as Yuri finished some eggs, his arms wrapped around his waist from behind.

            “Mhm. Leaving in a few.” Yuri scooped the eggs onto a plate and set them aside, turning off the stove as Otabek squeezed his hips.

            “Okay, I’m gonna take Mara to the park then.” Otabek lowered his voice for a moment and glanced back at Mara. “Hey, her birthday’s coming up in two weeks. We should get a party together at the rink, yeah? We can bring cupcakes to her class and invite everyone.”

            “Yeah, that’d be perfect. Take the car in case it rains, I’ll walk to the studio.”

            “You sure?”

            “Yeah, I like the exercise.”

            “Okay, well call if you want to be picked up.” Otabek said, pressing a kiss to Yuri’s cheek before pulling away to get Mara ready for the day.

            Yuri felt so warm when he sat down to eat his own food, not wanting to touch all the sugar he’d given Mara that morning. He loved their new morning routine. It was so disgustingly domestic, but it felt safe and comfortable.

            Otabek came wandering out, Mara in tow, a minute later and sat her down in Yuri’s lap, so he could do her hair. It wasn’t like Otabek couldn’t do it at this point, but he knew Yuri liked to.

            “You look so pretty today.” Yuri gushed as he finished her braid, smacking a big kiss against her cheek. “Be careful at the park, yeah? Don’t wander off.”

            “Okayy.” Mara said, hopping down off of his lap to get her shoes on and join Otabek by the door.

            Yuri let them go and finished his breakfast before he changed into his dance clothes and a heavy jacket to head out. He liked to walk when it wasn’t too cold out. The breeze was nice and it saved on gas, although he did have to dodge some sketchy alleyways, it was pretty okay in the daylight.

He only made it a block down before he noticed some of the garbage on the sidewalk moving around. “Hm?” He frowned and nudged an overfilled garbage bag to the side to find the sweetest looking Balinese cat he’d ever seen in his life. Holy shit, it looked exactly like the one he had when he was a kid.

“Hey little lady.” Yuri said, kneeling down on the cement to reach out to it. “You lost?” He moved forward carefully in case it scratched, but all it did was shrink back a little. “Hey now, it’s okay.” Yuri smiled when the cat let him pet it. There was no collar and it seemed to be shivering. Shit, what kind of person would he be if he just let a cat as sweet as this one freeze, or go hungry? Otabek wouldn’t mind. It could get down to zero that night and there was no way it’d be able to find good enough shelter.

            Yuri moved slowly and scooped her up, bracing himself to be scratched, but she only mewed and curled up in his arms. “Hey little one, we’re gonna go hang out at a ballet studio for a bit, yeah? We’ll get you home after.” With the new apartment, they definitely had enough room for a cat and Mara would love it. A pet would be good for her too. Responsibility and all that.

            “You’re really sweet for a stray.” Yuri grinned, petting her as he walked. She purred at his touch, probably just from the warmth, but still, she was sweeter than most cats for sure. “You’re gonna need a name, yeah? There’s too many names I always wanted to give a cat. Maybe we can put ‘em together yeah? Puma Tiger Scorpion.” Yuri snickered as he pressed kisses onto her little head. She didn’t seem to have fleas or anything. “We’ll just call you Potya for short.”

            He carried her all the way to the studio and hurried in to meet Minako before class started. “Minako, can I keep a cat in your office during class? She’s super, super sweet.”

            “Uh.” Minako blinked, one leg already up on the high bar in the dance room. “Why do you have a cat?”

            “I found her. She’s hungry.” He sighed. “I’m taking her home after class. Please?”

            “Yeah sure, just close the door, so she doesn’t get out.”

            “Got it.” Yuri grinned, carrying her down the hall and setting her down in Minako’s office. “Be good, okay? I’ll be right back for you.”

            Potya let out a little meow in response and went to hide under Minako’s desk before he closed the door and headed back to the class where a few other dancers had drifted in. He hung his coat up by the door and stepped in to help lead the warm up. He’d take the cat home and find her something to eat as soon as the class was over.

**

            Yuri made it home before Otabek and Mara and grabbed two dishes from the cabinet to feed the cat. He set out a little bit of milk and some tuna for the pantry and beamed when she started to eat right away. It had probably been forever since she’d had proper food. He’d need to take her to the vet soon, but he wanted to show Otabek and Mara first.

            When the doorknob turned, Yuri lit up and ran to answer it. “Hey guys.” He beamed. “Come in. Hurry, I have a surprise.”

            “Huh?” Otabek laughed. “Okay.” He set Mara down and held her hand as they walked inside, glancing around the room until his eyes landed on the cat. “Oh.”

            “Kitty!” Mara squealed, running up to try and pet it before Otabek stopped her and picked her up. “Bekaaaaa.” She whined. “I wanna pet it, put me down.”

            Otabek sighed and looked at Yuri with his eyebrows pushed together. “Where did you get that?”

            “I just found her. She was hungry and cold and um…” Yuri swallowed. Otabek seemed pissed at him rather than happy and surprised. “I-I thought we could take her in? I mean she seems pretty healthy for a stray and she needs a home and-“

            “Yura, she could have diseases. I mean, what are you thinking? We have a little kid here.”

            “I-I was about to take her to the vet, I just wanted to show you guys first.” Yuri’s stomach turned. Fuck, he’d just wanted to do something nice.

            “Are we not gonna keep her?” Mara asked in a quiet voice and Otabek sighed again, his shoulders slumping. “Does she have a name?”

            “Potya.” Yuri said and Otabek rolled his eyes. “What now? Jesus, it’s just a name.”

            “Stop getting her attached, Yura.” Otabek whispered, glaring now. “It has to go.”

            “Why?”

            “Because we have enough to take care of around here and it could hurt Mara, or get her sick, or God knows what. I mean do you think about anything?”

            “She wouldn’t hurt Mara, she’s like the sweetest cat I’ve ever seen. Stop talking to me like that. I would never do something that would hurt our kid. I-I thought this would make everyone happy.” He felt like such a fucking idiot now and even worse, he knew he’d ruined the amazing time they’d all been having at home. Otabek hadn’t been feeling sad, or angry with him at all. They’d been nothing but happy and affectionate, but now Yuri had wrecked that by creating something to fight about. Otabek was pissed at him and he knew this wasn’t the kind of fight they’d take a deep breath and walk away from because in Otabek’s head, this was about Mara. Those fights weren’t insignificant.

            “I don’t want the kitty to go.” Mara sniffled, her little mouth already wobbling and Otabek tried to hug her closer, but she squirmed away from him. “Beka, let Potya stay.”

            Yuri’s stomach turned again. Fuck, now Otabek was the bad guy and a big part of Yuri felt like he totally deserved it for being an asshole about taking in an animal that needed their help, but he also knew it would make Otabek angrier at him. Even worse than that, he knew it would break his heart having Mara against him.

            “Sweetie, it’s just a stray cat okay? It’s not a pet.” He said and she started to cry for real, batting her tiny fists against his chest and demanding to be put down. “I… I-I, fuck, I can’t put you down Mara. You’re gonna go right to the cat.” Otabek groaned. “Come on, you need to go to your room for a while.”

            That was all it took for her shift from just crying to full on tantrum mode, wailing and trying to writhe out of Otabek’s grip as he carried her to her room, shutting her inside before he came running back to the living room.

            “Yuri, what the hell?” Otabek hissed. “What were you thinking? She’s four years old. She’s gonna fall in love with any kind of pet that comes in here and you had to know we couldn’t keep this cat. What’s wrong with you? A-And then making me play the bad guy? She hates me for this.” Otabek choked, his eyes wide as he ran a hand through his hair. “She hates me, Yuri. I look like a monster.”

            “She doesn’t hate you, Beka. Why are you being crazy about the cat? I mean, seriously.” Yuri walked over and scooped Potya up, running a hand over her to make her purr while he carried her towards Otabek. “She needs a home and it’s freezing out here, especially when night comes.”

            “Because you didn’t even ask me, Yuri!” Otabek said, throwing his hands up in exasperation as Mara’s crying carried on in the background. “You just decided all on your own that you were going to do this. I-I mean, it hasn’t even been to the vet yet. How could I say that we could keep it? If we told Mara we were getting a cat, then you go to the vet and it has some horrible disease or something? I mean she’d be crushed. You should have _called_ me.”

            Yuri’s heart sank. He had a little bit of a point, but he didn’t have to be so mean about it. Yuri had meant well. “I-I just… I thought it would be a surprise. I-I thought everyone would like it. I’m sorry, okay?” He blinked back tears and held the cat closer, his heart starting to pound. Otabek sounded so fucking angry, it cut him like a knife after how sweet he’d been that morning. He wanted things to stay that way. Now Mara was mad at Otabek and if that made him depressed again, Yuri didn’t know what he’d do. “Please don’t be so mad at me. I-I’m sorry and I love you and I would never do something to hurt Mara, I just made kind of a mistake. Don’t get sad again.” Yuri croaked, the lump in his throat starting to ache. “I-I thought this was going to help keep everyone happy, I-I didn’t mean to ruin everything.”

His heart started to beat fast and it was like he could see how much he’d fucked everything up. Mara was so little, she’d hold the grudge against Otabek and he’d be so crushed that he’d get sad again. Everything would go back to shit. Otabek would have nightmares and they’d fight more and Mara would act out. His breath started to hitch as it became faster and faster and he dropped Potya to the floor just to steady himself. Why did he have to wreck everything right when it was going perfectly?

            “Yuri?”

            “I’m sorry.” He choked, embarrassed at the tears that were welling up in his eyes. “I-I’m stupid and I did a dumb thing and I’m sorry and I’ll make Mara not mad at you. I-I’ll fix this, I’ll fix everything, just-“ He half sobbed, half gasped when his voice cracked and stopped talking before he could lose himself entirely.

            “Whoa, whoa, whoa.” Otabek said, running up to him and taking his shoulders. “Hey, hey, breathe. Breathe slow.”

            “Huh?”

            “ _Breathe_ , Yuri.” Otabek instructed, putting a hand right on the center of his chest. “It’s okay, just take a deep breath.”

            “I-It’s okay?” Yuri sniffled, taking a few deep breaths like Otabek told him to, feeling his chest rise and fall against his hand. “Beka, I was just trying to be nice. I-I promise.”

            “I know you were.” Otabek breathed, his eyes a little wide with panic himself. “Shit, Yuri… Are you okay?”

            He shook his head. “I didn’t mean to make you the bad guy, Beka. Please don’t hate me. M-Mara’s little, she’ll forget about it in no time, yeah? I-I’ll help.”

            “Shh, shh I know. I know.” Otabek swallowed, pulling Yuri into a hug and squeezing tight. “It’s okay. Keep breathing.”

            “You’re not mad?”

            “We’ll talk about it in a minute, just calm down first.” Otabek said, rubbing Yuri’s back and pressing a series of soft kisses into his hair. “I don’t hate you. I could never, ever, _ever_ hate you. You got that?”

            Yuri let out a quiet sob into Otabek’s shoulder and nodded his head. “I don’t want things to stop being good. W-We finally got to a point where everything was perfect a-and I ruined it and-“

            “Stop. You didn’t ruin anything.” Otabek squeezed tighter. “Look, I’m a little mad okay? That doesn’t mean it’s the end of the world.” He pulled back and brushed the tears from Yuri’s cheeks. “Baby, have you been having anxiety lately? I mean it’s not like you to get so scared like that just because I’m mad, or something. This is the second panic attack you’ve had.”

            “I-I don’t know.” Yuri sniffed. “W-We just went through a lot and I-I want things to stay good. I was just trying to do something nice, Beka. I-I didn’t mean to make Mara mad at you, that cat just needed a home a-and we have so much space now, I just… It was stupid, I’m sorry. She looks just like the one I had when I was a kid.”

            “Look.” Otabek chewed on his lip for a moment and glanced down at the cat. “I-I didn’t mean to make you cry, or anything. Could you take her to the vet right now?”

            “Huh?”

            “If it’s healthy enough that it’s not dangerous or anything, um… I-I guess we can keep it.”

            “Really?”

            “Yeah, but only if it’s healthy, okay?”

            “Y-Yeah.” Yuri nodded, wiping his eyes. “I don’t know what to tell Mara.”

            “Let’s just… Let’s be honest, yeah? We’ll tell her the truth that it’s up to the vet whether or not the cat stays and if we can’t keep Potya, well… Maybe we’ll think about getting another pet.”

            “I’m sorry I made her mad at you, I didn’t think that would happen. I-I know how much that kind of thing messes with you.”

            “It’s okay, I mean, we’re the parents. I shouldn’t be so sensitive with her.” Otabek took a deep breath and reached up to tuck a lock of Yuri’s hair behind his ear. “So you saw a hungry cat and just immediately thought to take it home?” He laughed. “That’s pretty cute.”

            Yuri blushed a little bit and smiled too when Otabek kissed his cheek. Mara’s sobbing had died down, so they took a second to put themselves together then headed in.

            “Mara?” Otabek asked as they peaked inside. “Hey, we want to talk to you.”

            “Go away.” She mumbled from underneath the covers.

            Otabek’s shoulders slumped a bit, but he walked up to her bed anyways and pulled the blankets back. “Hey. Do big girls hide under the covers when they’re not getting their way?”

            She stayed quiet.

            “Do they?”

            “No.” She sniffled.

            “Then sit up and let’s talk, okay?”

            Yuri was a little taken aback by how good at this Otabek seemed to be. He came up and sat on the foot of the bed himself, folding his legs.

            “Listen, you know when I say no to things, or when Yuri says no to things, it’s because we want what’s best for you okay?” Otabek said, giving her tiny knee a squeeze. “We don’t know if it’s safe for us to keep that cat, so we can’t say yes to it. We wouldn’t be very good parents to you if we let you play with a cat that could hurt you, or get you sick, right?”

            Mara shrugged her shoulders. “You’re just my brother though.”

            “Come here.” Otabek sighed, pulling her into his lap and hugging her. “I know I’m not really your dad, but we never liked Dad very much, did we?”

            Mara shook her head.

            “What matters now is that me and Yuri are the ones taking care of you and that makes us your parents, okay? It’s not about who came from who. We chose to be a family and you have to listen to us alright? And it’s okay to be sad when you don’t get what you want, but no tantrums just because you don’t get your way.”

            Mara looked down and hugged herself, letting Otabek plant a kiss on the top of her head.

            “Are you gonna be a big girl?”

            “Yeah.” She mumbled.

            “Okay, then we’re gonna take Potya to the vet and if it’s safe, we’ll keep her. Only if the vet says it’s okay.”

            Mara gasped and looked up at him with her mouth in a little “O” shape. “Really?”

            “Yeah.” Otabek nodded. “And if the vet says no, you’re allowed to be sad, but you have to handle it like a big girl okay? Can you do that?”

            “Uh huh.”

            “Okay then.” Otabek smiled, hugging her tight. “We love you. You love us?”

            “Yes.” She giggled.

            Otabek reached over to give Yuri’s hand a squeeze. “You okay?”

            “Yeah, you’re really good at the whole dad shtick.” Yuri laughed, getting up and kissing both of them on the cheek. “I’m gonna go to the vet.”

            “Are you good to go by yourself, Yura? I mean, we could come with.”

            “You wanna go?” Yuri asked Mara, who gave a shy nod.

“Alright, let’s get your coat back on then.” Otabek set her down, so she could get her shoes and jacket, then stood up himself to give Yuri a quick kiss. “Sorry for being so harsh earlier.”

            “It’s fine.” Yuri blushed, still surprised at how fast Otabek had dropped his anger to comfort him when he panicked. He never used to get so freaked out like that, but lately it’d been easier to get there.

            “I can drive.” Otabek said as they headed out, Yuri scooping up Potya and holding her close when they left.

            Yuri watched Otabek carefully as they drove to the vet, petting Potya to keep her calm for the car ride. Everything seemed fine now, but he felt bad now for doing the whole cat thing without giving Otabek a heads up and if Potya wasn’t safe to keep, he would have really fucked up. Mara had her heart set.

            At the vet, they took Potya to the back and gave Yuri a list of tests they’d run and asked if they’d want to get her shots, which of course Yuri said yes to and handed over the credit card.

            “So Mara, if we can’t keep Potya, we’ll get another pet okay? Maybe not right away, but we’ll get one.” Otabek said as they waited, one arm around Yuri’s shoulders and one holding Mara in his lap.

            Yuri felt better, seeing that Otabek was still being affectionate. Even just a little shoulder squeeze eased his nerves. He kept a hand on Otabek’s knee too and soon enough, they brought Potya back out for them to take home. Yuri bought a few pounds of food for her and some treats before they carried everything back to the car. Mara was so excited she was just giggling nonstop and Yuri would have let her carry the cat on the way home, but he didn’t want her to get scratched if they came to a sudden stop or anything.

            When they got back to the apartment, Otabek made dinner and Yuri sat on the living room floor, playing with Mara and the cat. He taught her the proper way to pet her and everything, not wanting her to get hurt.

            “Here Baby, I made your favorite.” Otabek said, putting a plate of piroshky in front of him and kissing the top of his head once they’d all made it to the dinner table.

            “Aw Beka, you don’t have to do all this.” Yuri smiled as Mara climbed into her booster seat.

            “I wanted to.” Otabek bent down and gave him another kiss, just a quick peck on the lips before sitting down next to him. “Eat up, we have a long practice tomorrow.”

            “Yeah.” Yuri smiled, scootching his chair closer to him, so their knees could touch while they all ate.

            After dinner, they watched a movie with Mara then tucked her into bed after a story. Otabek was kind of good at doing silly voices, so she’d starting picking a lot more Fairy Tale books to get him to do it and she always fell asleep pretty fast after.

            When they settled on the couch, the cat sleeping on the floor in front of them, Yuri figured they were in for a lazy night, maybe early to bed so they’d be good for practice, but Otabek seemed a little touchier than usual. Not that he minded at all when he jumped at a scary point in the movie and Otabek started to suck a love mark onto his neck.

            “Beka.” He gasped when he sucked especially hard, his cock twitching in his jeans. “Beka, I-I’m sensitive there.”

            “I know.” Otabek said, sliding one hand up Yuri’s shirt to play with his nipple.

            “Oh fuck you.” Yuri half gasped half laughed, feeling himself harden more. “Bekaaa.”

            He nibbled on his neck with a more open mouth, letting Yuri feel that warmth and wetness on his skin while he toyed with the most sensitive part of Yuri’s chest. “You like it when I touch you like this?” Otabek whispered and Yuri thanked God that Mara’s room was much further away in the new apartment.

            “Yes.” Yuri whimpered.

            “Yeah?” Otabek nibbled on his ear and dragged his tongue up the length of his neck. “You want me to touch you?”

            “Please.” Yuri begged, shivering as Otabek’s free hand slid down to stroke the inside of his thigh. “Don’t tease me.”

            “But you like it so much.” Otabek laughed as he traced just one finger over the bulge in Yuri’s jeans.

            “The zipper hurts.”

            “Oh shit, sorry.” Otabek said before dragging it down and palming Yuri through the thin material of his boxer briefs. “Wow, all this from just touching your neck and your nipples, huh?” He teased when he circled his fingers over the wet spot Yuri had made.

            “You know how I am with you.” Yuri blushed, biting his lip as Otabek’s hand dipped inside to stroke him. “Hhh, fuck.” Otabek’s open mouth was back on Yuri’s neck and he rolled his hips towards his hand, squirming against the touch. Otabek stroked him painfully slow, pausing to squeeze, or stopping to dip down and cup his balls, give his perineum a short massage. “You’re so mean.”

            “You’re so hard.”

            “Are you gonna fuck me or what?” Yuri breathed, craning his neck to give Otabek further access.

            “Nope.”

            “We’re not sixteen. You can’t just jack me off on the couch anymore.” Yuri laughed.

            Otabek nipped at his skin one more time before he pulled away and dropped onto his knees in front of him, kneeling between his open thighs. “Hips up.”

            Yuri complied and looked down at Otabek with pink cheeks, pushing one hand into his fiancé’s thick hair. He always loved how easy it was to hold onto that.

            Otabek pulled his jeans down to his ankles along with his underwear and Yuri turned to make sure Mara’s door was still shut. “Don’t worry, she’s out.” Otabek said as he ran his eyes over Yuri’s erection.

            “Stop staring at it like that.” Yuri said, blushing a deeper shade of red. Otabek was looking at him like it was the first dick he’d seen or something.

            “I just like it. I never look at your penis enough.”

            “Why are you so weird?” Yuri sighed, knocking his head back against the sofa. Fuck, the new couch was cozy.

            Otabek turned his head to the side and dragged his tongue up the underside of Yuri’s length, blowing softly over the wet line he’d drawn to ease a whine out of Yuri.

            “Beka, you’re killing me.” Yuri breathed, tightening his grip on his hair.

            “But you look so pretty like this.” Otabek said as he took it in his hand, leaning in to press a line of kisses down the side of it.

            “Jesus Christ, Beks.”

            “Aw that’s a cute nickname.”

            “I am literally going to call off the wedding if you don’t put my dick in your mouth.”

            “Fair enough.” Otabek said before finally taking in the tip, swirling his tongue around and sucking until he felt he’d teased enough and sunk down to take him completely.

            “ _Beka_.” Yuri whimpered, his thighs trembling as Otabek swallowed around him. He didn’t realize how cold the living room was until he felt how _warm_ Otabek’s mouth was. It made the whole thing feel so much better, wanting to stay completely in him for that warm feeling. He pulled up the front of his shirt and used his free hand to rub at the sensitive part of his chest. He usually felt too embarrassed to do that, but Otabek had gotten him going to a point where he didn’t care.

            Otabek hummed around him and swallowed everything Yuri leaked, stroking his hands down the inside of his thighs until he made the decision to finish him and started to press against his perineum. He used just two fingers to rub and massage him on the sensitive spot until Yuri’s back arched and his toes curled, his fingers tightening on Otabek’s hair as he got closer.

            “Beka, fuck, I-I can’t keep quiet.” Yuri whimpered, his thighs trembling as he clamped a hand over his mouth and his orgasm finally peaked. He spilled onto Otabek’s tongue until he felt completely empty, his whole body tense and warm while Otabek sucked him through it, swallowing everything. It lasted longer than usual and he almost felt like fainting when Otabek took his mouth away.

            “You’re so cute.” Otabek said as he tucked him back away in his jeans and zipped them shut. “Come here.” He got back on his feet and bent down to push their lips together, letting Yuri’s tongue explore all corners of his mouth to taste himself on his tongue.

            Yuri wrapped his arms around Otabek’s neck to keep him down onto the couch and kissed him until he had to pull away to breathe, tugging him down so he could hug him closer.

            “You feel good?”

            “I feel great.” Yuri smiled as he kicked his legs up in Otabek’s lap.

            “Good.” He sighed, wrapping his arm around Yuri’s shoulders and kissing the top of his head. “Hey listen, if we’re ever fighting and you start getting to a point where you’re panicking and you can’t breathe right, just tell me okay? We’ll put it on pause just like you do for me and wait until you calm down.”

            “Are you sure? I-I mean this doesn’t usually happen to me, I just…”

            “Still, when it does happen, we should know how to handle it. I mean, you’ve done that kind of thing for me for years, so I can do it for you too.” Otabek gave him a little squeeze and planted a kiss on his cheek just for reassurance. “I love you. You gotta still believe that even when I’m mad, okay?”

            “Okay.” Yuri nodded. “I love you too.”

            “I think I went a little overboard with the hickeys.” Otabek laughed as he ran a finger over Yuri’s neck. “Sorry.”

            “I don’t mind.”

            “Yakov might.”

            “He’s used to it.” Yuri said, nuzzling his cheek against Otabek’s shoulder. “You’re so sweet, I can’t believe you just gave me a whole apology blowjob.” He snickered as Otabek started to kiss all the hickeys he’d left. “I can’t wait to get married.”

            “Me neither. You want to move to the bed? It’s kind of cold out here.”

            “Yeah.” Yuri said, pulling himself away and pressing one more kiss to Otabek’s forehead. He felt so lucky to have someone as nice as Otabek. Looking back, he’d made some dumb fucking choices with the cat and Otabek was still here comforting him just because a fight had gotten a little out of hand.

            Otabek lead him back to their room and they changed into some warm pajamas, turning on the new flat screen that sat on the dresser in front of the bed before snuggling in extra close. “I can’t believe how in love with you I am.” Otabek sighed when Yuri started to doze off, stroking one hand through his hair. “It makes it really hard to be mad at you sometimes.”

            “I know the feeling.” Yuri smiled, pressing closer to Otabek’s chest and breathing in what was left over of his cologne. “Do you like Potya?”

            “I’ve never had a cat, but I’m sure I will. She’s pretty cute.”

            “Yeah, she reminds me of you. Her fur’s the same color as your hair on the dark parts, you know?” Yuri yawned and nuzzled his cheek against him. “I know it’s early, do you mind if I fall asleep on you?”

            “I don’t mind. You want the TV off?”

            Yuri shook his head and pulled the blankets higher up before he shut his eyes. “I wish we were closer to the wedding. I just want to marry you.”

            “Isn’t that a Bruno Mars song?”

            “Shut upppp, I’m being sweet.” Yuri whined, sliding his hand under the hem of Otabek’s t-shirt to feel his skin. “I really can’t wait. I want to dance with you in front of everyone. We’re gonna kill it.”

            “We gotta put a drink limit on Victor and Yuuri, or they’ll steal your thunder.”

            “Yeah.” Yuri snorted, shutting his eyes again and smiling when Otabek squeezed him. “If anyone shows me up at our wedding, we’re having another one.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a big debate tournament this upcoming weekend so I'll tryyyy to get chapter twenty-three up by friday night maybe? I promise the wedding is coming soon lmao i swear


	23. Chapter Twenty Four - Birthday Blunders

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Mara's birthday yalll (also theres one thing a LOT of you have been asking for in the comments so it's in this chapter!! hope it lived up to expectations lol)

            “Kids like ice skating right? I mean the other kids will come?” Yuri said as he sealed the last invitation envelope for Mara’s birthday. “I’ll cry if they don’t. Seriously. Tears, Beka.”

            “I’m sure it’ll be fine. The parents will bring em, you know? Anna will be there for sure.” Otabek said. He was on cupcake duty while Yuri did the invitations, taking the last batch out of the oven and setting them on the rack to cool one by one. The store didn’t have strawberry ones like Mara loved, so they decided to make them, but since the whole thing was supposed to be a surprise, they had to wait until she was asleep to prepare anything at all. “I emailed the teacher. We’re gonna come in at eleven when they have lunch.”

            “Okay.” Yuri nodded, putting all the invitations in a pile. “Need help frosting?”

            “Yeah.”

            Yuri came up beside him and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek before grabbing the frosting and starting on the cupcakes. “An ice rink party is enough right? I mean she’s just turning five, these other kids don’t have huge parties right?”

            “I have no idea, I just hope she’s happy with it.” Otabek sighed as he smeared pink frosting on another cupcake. “It was nice for Yakov to let us take the rink over for a few hours Saturday.”

            Yuri finished his part of the batch and moved over to hug him from behind, slipping one hand up the front of his t-shirt and kissing his neck a little to relax him. “You’re sweet to plan all this. I love when you go dad mode.”

            “You’re cute.”

            “Cute enough to make out with for a little while? Everything’s done. I’m too tired for sex after practice plus the dance class, but you’ve been so nice today. I want some time with you.”

            “Aw.” Otabek laughed, turning around in his arms and kissing his forehead. “You’re adorable. What’s got you all clingy?”

            “I don’t know, it’s just Mara’s first birthday with us and she was so cute on the ice today when she got to practice a bit. I just love our little family and when you’re all paternal, I think about the baby and I get kinda mushy. Plus, the wedding is just so close, you know?” He was blushing as he spoke and smiled when Otabek’s hand came up to push his hair back behind his ear. “I love you.”

            “You’re something else today.” Otabek smiled back, his hands sliding down Yuri’s sides to his hips. “If we close the hallway door, we can play some music without waking Mara. I’ll put the baby monitor on the coffee table in case she wakes up and needs us. Want to practice our wedding dance?”

            Yuri’s eyes lit up. “ _Yes_.”

            “Don’t make fun of me, I’m not the best at it off ice still.”

            They’d taken the basic choreography from their ice dance and filled in all the straight skating parts with new steps and moves, so they could do it at the wedding. Otabek was still a little bit ungraceful at times, but Yuri thought it was cute. They’d taken the lifts out at least, having learned a lesson or two from the show Victor and Yuuri had put on at their wedding dance.

            “I won’t make fun of you.” Yuri said, taking him by the wrists and pulling him into their living room. They had so much more space in it now. He scooped Potya up off the floor and gave her a few kisses before dropping her in the kitchen to keep her out of the way while Otabek moved the coffee table and switched on a baby monitor.           Yuri queued their music up on the smart TV and dragged Otabek to the center of the floor before pressing play.

            “You’re so fucking cute.” Otabek said as he dipped Yuri low, bringing him back up in a sweeping motion that made his heart leap before pulling his hips in close.

            “How’d you get so much better at this so fast?” Yuri laughed, taking Otabek’s hand as they went through their steps. “You’re moving really well, what the fuck?”

            “Can’t I be a good dancer for once?” Otabek grinned, stepping back to spin him before dipping him briefly again and bringing him back up. “Minako gave me some tips.”

            “When?”

            “I’ve been texting her. She’s helpful.” Otabek shrugged. “I wanted to be good for you.”

            “Beka.” Yuri breathed, blushing as they moved across the floor together. Otabek had always stumbled a bit, but suddenly he was just so light on his feet.

            “Don’t laugh, but sometimes I sneak out here and practice a little when you’re asleep.” Otabek said when their music slowed and his hands held Yuri’s waist again.

            “You’re fucking awesome, Jesus.” Yuri sighed, stopping him when he tried to move forward and kissing him instead, bringing his leg up onto Otabek’s hip, so he would hold his thigh there. “I love you.” He mumbled against his lips, sucking Otabek’s lower one into his mouth and nibbling on it for a brief moment. Yuri moved his arms to around Otabek’s neck to give him a little warning before he jumped up and let Otabek catch him, wrapping his legs around his waist.

            Otabek took a step back to keep their balance, but held Yuri up without a struggle, keeping one hand on his ass while the other held his back. “You’re fucking wild.” He said between kisses, carefully walking them back to the couch. “Shouldn’t you save a little of this energy for the wedding?” Otabek teased as he laid Yuri down on the couch.

            “I’ve got plenty to spare.”

            “Mm, but I like how you get when we wait.” He bent down and planted a single kiss on the center of Yuri’s forehead. “I’m gonna box up the cupcakes.”

            “Aw.” Yuri pouted. “Will you dance with me just a few more minutes? It doesn’t have to be the wedding song.”

            “Just dancing?”

            “Well I’m still gonna kiss you a little bit.”

            Otabek rolled his eyes and pulled him back up from the couch. “I’m picking the music. But first I’m boxing up the cupcakes.”

            Yuri groaned and flopped back down while Otabek jogged off to the kitchen to put everything away.

            On Otabek’s return, he put on one of the most recent mixes he’d put together and they danced their way around the living room, laughing and occasionally falling over each other. Otabek would pick him up and slide him all the way down between his legs, spin him fast until Yuri finally won and it transitioned into a little bit of grinding.

            “You always get your way, don’t you?” He laughed when he picked Yuri up and shut off the music, carrying him off towards the bedroom. “Keep quiet though.”

            “Okay.” Yuri gushed as Otabek nudged open the hallway door and brought him into the bedroom. “Should we get the baby monitor?”

            “It’s fine I think. She hasn’t gotten up in the middle of the night in ages.” He kicked the bedroom door shut and laid Yuri on the bed to strip him of his ballet tights and the too big t-shirt he’d stolen from Otabek’s side of the dresser.

            It didn’t take long for them to melt into their usual position, Yuri on his back, arms and legs wrapped around his fiancé as they moved together in the dark. The mattress creaked under each thrust of Otabek’s hips and Yuri’s mouth stayed open whether he was panting, or dragging his tongue across Otabek’s neck, or lips. He loved this. How Otabek could just lay him down and make him feel so, _so_ good without doing anything special at all, just making love like they would on any other night.

            “Beka, I’m gonna cum.” He whispered after a few minutes, his voice hot and heavy with his breath. “Are you there?”

            “Just like one more second, Baby.” Otabek murmured before dragging his open lips down Yuri’s neck.

            “God.” Yuri whimpered, clenching himself around Otabek and feeling how soft the sheets were against his back, how warm Otabek’s body was over him. “Almost, a-almost… Right there!” He gasped and just as he started to cum, a crack of light fell over the bed.

            “Beka?” A tiny voice peeped and Otabek pulled himself out and rolled off of him faster than Yuri was able to even react.

            “ _Shit_.” Yuri gasped, a hand flying up to cover his mouth as his thighs trembled from the passing orgasm, leaving him wet between his legs and over the bedsheets beneath the covers.

            “What?” Mara blinked, looking at them both with wide eyes, her little mouth trembling. “I had a nightmare.

            “W-We were just um… U-Uhh.” Otabek stuttered, his face completely red as he held the comforter up to cover himself. “Can you go wait for us in your room Kiddo?”

            She shook her head. “I’m scared.” She sniffled and tried to step forward, but Otabek held his hand out.

            “No, no, stay right there.”

            “Why?”

            “Just… C-Can you just go wait for us a minute Mara?”

            “But I want to sleep with you.” Mara whined before walking up a few more steps, trying to go straight for the bed and Otabek’s brain hit the panic button.

            “Fuck, Mara stop!” He yelled, pointing towards the door. “Go to your room and wait okay?!” It came out much louder and harsher than Yuri knew he meant it to, but Mara burst into tears immediately, running away towards the living room. “Shit, fuck.” Otabek groaned, jumping out of bed and shutting the door, so he could scramble to get something on. “I didn’t mean to yell at her, fuck.”

            “Shit.” Yuri sighed. “Literally like the one time we didn’t lock it.”

            “Fucking hell, Yuri.” Otabek mumbled as he hit the light switch and pulled on a pair of sweatpants. “I told you we shouldn’t have sex tonight.”

            “Huh?” Yuri’s heart sank. “Hey, I… I didn’t do anything. Don’t be like that.”

            “Fuck. I-I know, I’m just… I’m sorry. Are you gonna get dressed and come?”

            “Um.” Yuri’s face burned bright red and he pulled his knees up, a little humiliated that he hadn’t had the self control to keep from cumming when the door opened.

            “What?”

            “I-I um… I-I need a minute.”

            Otabek just blinked in confusion and Yuri felt his face warm even further.

            “I came, okay?” He mumbled. “I-It hit me like right when she opened the door, so I couldn’t stop it.”

            “Oh. Shit, you could have just said that.” Otabek took a deep breath then ran around to Yuri’s side of the bed to press a kiss against his cheek. “Just clean up and come out. Sorry for snapping at you.”

            Yuri shrunk back for a moment, but Otabek’s eyes weren’t mad. They were soft again and the concern in his voice was sweet and gentle like it usually was, trying to comfort him when he knew he was embarrassed. “Yeah, I’ll be right out.”

            “Okay, I love you.” Otabek said just for reassurance and pressed one more kiss to the top of his head before running out of the room to go comfort Mara.

            Ugh, he probably shouldn’t have dragged Otabek into sex, but fuck it had been good while it lasted. He slid out of bed and took a minute in the bathroom to clean himself up before throwing some pajamas on and stripping off the bed sheets. He’d put new ones on tomorrow.

            When Yuri headed out, Otabek was holding a sniffling Mara in the living room, bouncing her up and down and cooing in the same gentle voice he’d used on Yuri moments ago. “It’s okay, Sweetheart. Everyone gets nightmares sometimes. I didn’t mean to yell at you, yeah? It was just an accident. You didn’t do anything wrong.”

            “Everything okay?” Yuri asked and Otabek nodded, rubbing Mara’s back as she cried softly on his shoulder.

            “Is the bed clean?”

            “Yeah, I took care of it.”

            “Thank you.” Otabek reached out and gave his wrist a little squeeze. “You okay?”

            Yuri smiled at the genuine concern on his face and nodded, stepping forward to hug them both and kiss Otabek’s cheek before tilting his head to see eye to eye with Mara. “Bad dream?”

            She gave a little nod.

            “Aw. You know when Otabek has bad dreams, he always likes to have his back rubbed just like he’s doing to you right now.”

            Otabek blushed a little at that, but Mara just giggled and let Yuri give her a kiss on the forehead. “Here, you want to cuddle with Yuri tonight?” He asked before moving her into Yuri’s arms.

            He took her without a problem, but raised his eyebrows a bit when he did.

            “Uh… Put her on your side of the bed.” Otabek said. “I’m afraid in the morning I’ll be kind of uh… y’know?”

            “Oh my God. Okay.” Yuri snickered, cocking his head back towards the bedroom. “Come on, let’s all go get some sleep.”

            When they all piled back into bed, Otabek spooned up close to Yuri from behind while Yuri held Mara and got the blankets over all their shoulders.

            “Sleep tight, Yura.” Otabek cooed, pressing a kiss to the back of his neck and hooking one arm over his hips. “You too Mara.”

            She giggled as she snuggled in with Yuri and told him goodnight too before they all settled in to finally get some sleep. Yuri couldn’t help grinning as the other two dozed off. They had a perfect family.

**

            “Happy Birthday, Ladybug. We’ll celebrate big time tonight, okay?” Otabek said when they dropped her off at school the next morning, squeezing her tight as he knelt on the sidewalk.

            “Okay.” She giggled, squeezing him back before running up to Yuri.

            “Have a good day, okay?” Yuri said as he picked her up, pressing a few kisses into her hair before he set her back down. “Be safe.”

            Mara gave him a little nod and waved goodbye to both of them before spotting Anna across the grass and running off to join her. She had no idea they’d be back in a few hours to surprise her and they were both eager to see how happy she’d be.

            As soon as she got in safe, they headed home to get all the cupcakes and invitations out before getting ready.

            Yuri had managed to squeeze in a shower by waking up a few minutes early and sat on the couch, playing one of the video games they hadn’t touched since Mara arrived while Otabek took one himself. He felt great. Mara’s birthday was going to be a hit and Otabek had been sweet all morning. It was so adorable watching him get all fatherly with Mara and Yuri’s heart could just about burst at this point with the wedding anticipation.

After he died for the fourth time and noticed the water was still running, he raised his eyebrows. He’d been with Otabek long enough to know what that meant and considering they’d been interrupted the night before, he was a little surprised at himself for forgetting to make it up to him. Yuri shut the game off and headed into the bedroom, stripping down and folding his clothes back on the bed for after, so he could slip into the adjoining bathroom where Otabek was showering. “You want company?”

“Hm? Oh hey.” Otabek smiled, blushing a little behind the glass as he took his hand off of himself. “Sorry, uh, I was just…”

            “I know, that’s why I came.” Yuri said with a roll of his eyes. “Can I come in?”

“Yeah, of course.”

            The new shower was a lot bigger than before, a big stall that could easily fit them both, so Yuri slid right in and pressed himself up against Otabek’s wet body, his hands sliding right down to his hips.

            “Didn’t you already shower?”

            “Yeah, but I missed you.” Yuri said, turning his head to kiss the water droplets from Otabek’s neck. “What kind of husband would I be if I left you to jack off in the shower?”

            “Do you have to call me out on everything?”

            “Yes.” Yuri laughed, getting up on his toes to give Otabek an especially hard kiss. “Can I suck you off?”

            “Babe, if I ever say no to that-“

            “I’d pull the plug, don’t worry.” Yuri teased before sinking down to his knees. God, he loved how much fucking room they had. No more mashing his toes up against the side of a tub when he took Otabek’s already hard cock in his mouth. Without Mara home, he got to hear all the amazing noises Otabek usually held back and how they echoed off the tiled walls.

            “Take it.” Otabek gasped when Yuri let him into his throat and Yuri’s heart stopped. That was new.

            Yuri hummed around him and reached a hand around to the small of Otabek’s back, pushing his hips forward to let him know he could fuck his mouth. Otabek didn’t usually give him much dirty talk unless he asked for it, so he wondered if there was more he could ease out of him.

            “ _Fuck_. Yes, Yura.” He breathed. “Take it just like that.”

            Yuri swallowed around him and turned his head so he could bob his head back and forth without drowning, relishing in the words falling from Otabek’s mouth.

            “You’re so fucking good, Baby. Keep doing that.” Otabek panted, his hand tightening in Yuri’s hair. “So good, Yura.”

            Damn, Otabek was _really_ into this. Yuri was wondering how he could ease even more out of him when his fiancé’s hips stuttered and Otabek came into his mouth. He’d probably already been close when Yuri came in anyways. He swallowed everything and pulled away when he finished, expecting the usual soft affection he always got from a post-orgasm Otabek, but Otabek pulled him into his feet instead and kissed him like they were still in the middle of sex.

            Yuri gasped into his mouth, and let Otabek press him up against the wall, the hot water running over their feet as Yuri melted right into him. “Beka.” He panted between kisses. “What’s up with you?”

            “I was thinking about the wedding and then you just came in here and, fuck, I am so crazy about you right now.” Otabek said and Yuri was reminded of how cute he looked when his hair was wet. “Today’s going to be a really good day, yeah?”

            “Yeah.” Yuri grinned. “I love when you’re like this.”

            “I just have so much energy today and you’re being so sweet and amazing and I felt like shit that I snapped at you last night, even just a little bit.” Otabek ran a hand through Yuri’s damp hair and kissed him again, a little gentler. “You want to get ready?”

            “Yeah, can you do my hair today? It feels nice when you do.”

            “You want that side braid?”

            “Sure.” Yuri smiled, giving him one more kiss on the corner of his mouth. “It’s a special occasion isn’t it?”

**

            “Why am I nervous? Are you nervous?” Otabek asked as he carried the cupcakes out of the car, Yuri locking it behind them. “Should I be nervous about what preschoolers think of us?”

            “I’m more worried about what they think of the party and the cupcakes and stuff. I mean, if kids don’t show up, that’ll totally crush Mara.” Yuri said, handing Otabek the pile of envelopes, so he could carry the cupcakes as they marched towards her classroom. “Is everyone from the rink coming?”

            “Yeah, Victor and Yuuri are going to bring the baby. Mila and Georgi are gonna stop by for a little, they love kids.”

            “Okay, good.” He breathed as they approached her building. All the classrooms faced the outside, so the doors were right on the side of the pre-k complex by the playground. “Ready?”

            “Yeah.” Otabek nodded as Yuri opened the door and they stepped inside the classroom.

            It was so adorable in there. The walls were covered in murals of little playgrounds and rainbows, tiny chairs at all the tables, a play corner covered in puzzles and games. The kids were all sitting in their tiny seats for lunch and perked up at the sight of the cupcakes, Mara gasping from her seat next to Anna. The teacher stood up to greet them and Yuri smiled when she came over to them.

            “Hi, Otabek and Yuri?” She asked and they both nodded. She was really young for a teacher, thin with long blonde hair tied up in a bun. “You can go ahead and pass out the cupcakes while the kids sing for Mara.”

            “Sure, awesome.” Yuri grinned, running over to plant a kiss on the top of Mara’s head. “Happy Birthday, Mara.” He said before giving her the first cupcake and letting her kids sing her Happy Birthday while he passed out the rest of them and Otabek gave each kid a party invitation, stopping once to give Mara a hug too.

            “Um, excuse me?” The teacher asked Yuri in a quiet voice once he’d handed out all the cupcakes.

            “Hm?” He blinked. “You want one?”

            “Oh. No, no, I was just wondering um… If it’s okay to ask, what’s your relationship to Mara?”

            Yuri’s chest tightened. “Uh, I help out with the kid stuff. Hard for Otabek to take care of her on his own.”

            Her eyes glanced down at his hand and he quickly stuffed it in his pocket to hide the engagement ring.

            “So you’re a friend?”

            “Yeah, friend, uh, roommate?” Yuri blushed. “Otabek’s the one with custody.”

            “Hey, everything okay?” Otabek asked when he walked up to them, seeming to forget that they were supposed to be playing it straight as he put a hand on Yuri’s waist.

            Yuri stepped out of his touch and nodded. “All good.”

            Otabek blinked and seemed to realize what was up, pulling his hand back.

            “It’s just that…” The teacher bit her lip. “I think it’s a little confusing for the kids to see both of you acting as Mara’s guardians.”

            “Confusing? I mean all we did was hand out cupcakes.” Otabek said. “There’s nothing romantic going on here.”

            “Mara’s been through a lot. She needs all the love and support she can get regardless of who it’s from, alright?” Yuri scowled. How could even a homophobe have an issue with them handing out cupcakes?

            “We just came to surprise her for her birthday alright? We’ll leave.” Otabek sighed, cocking his head back towards the door. “Come on, Yura.”

            Yuri swallowed his pride and nodded, both of them walking back to give Mara a hug goodbye and one more Happy Birthday.

            “We’ll be back to pick you up okay? Do you like the idea for your party this weekend?” Otabek asked when he pulled away.

            “I love it.” She giggled. “Thank you.”

            “Aw, you’re welcome Ladybug. See you later, okay?”

            “Mmkay.”

            They left at that and headed back to their car feeling anxious and queasy.

            “I’m sorry.” Yuri grimaced as they approached the car. “I shouldn’t have come, I just wanted to be a part of the surprise for Mara, but that was selfish and-“

            “No, you didn’t do anything wrong. It’s important for Mara to not just see me do the parent stuff. You’re her parent too.” Otabek sighed. “Can you drive? I’m super anxious.”

            “Yeah, are you okay?”

            “I think I need to go home and try to relax. I’m a little freaked out that the teacher might treat Mara differently.”

            “I’ll drive us home. Try not to worry about it too much.”

            They got in the car and Yuri kept a hand on Otabek’s knee as they drove back home, trying to soothe him. When it came to messing things up for Mara, Otabek could be so hard on himself. He felt dumb for showing up still and making them seem like such an obvious couple.

            “Don’t stress over this. Mara won’t pick up on it at all and I’m sure a teacher wouldn’t be mean to a kid just because two guys are raising her.” Yuri said when they headed into the apartment. “Mara was super happy we came and that’s what matters, yeah?”

            “Yeah.” Otabek nodded as he kicked his shoes off, flopping down on the couch and holding his arms out.

            Yuri shrugged his jacket off and lied down with him, pressing a few comfort kisses to Otabek’s neck and ear. “Just put it out of your head. Cuddle with me and think about the wedding.”

            “Okay.” Otabek breathed, giving him a squeeze and shutting his eyes.

            “Mara’s gonna have a great birthday, yeah?”

            “Yeah.” He smiled. “She is.”

**

            On Saturday morning, they made a massive breakfast for Mara and dressed her up in her favorite outfit, taking care to add tights and gloves, so she could skate and stay warm. Victor and Yuuri had volunteered to decorate the rink beforehand, so when they got there, there were balloons tied all around the ice and a birthday banner above her cake table.

            “Everyone will be here in a minute, you want to wait by the cake?” Otabek asked, holding her hand to lead her over while Yuri followed.

            “Yeah.” She giggled, practically bouncing as she went to sit at the table to wait for everyone else.

            Victor and Yuuri were already by the ice, grinning when they walked up to greet them. Baby Yulia was in Victor’s arms, fussing just a little.

            “Happy birthday Mara.” Yuuri beamed, kneeling down to give her a hug. “We put our present for you under the table.” He winked. “You excited?”

            “Yes.” She giggled, nodding her head and kicking her feet back and forth with the skate guards on.

            “What do you say, Mara?” Otabek nudged and she quickly perked up back towards Yuuri.

            “Thank you!”

            “Aw. You’re welcome.”

            They all waited patiently together for the kids to arrive, Otabek checking his watch every two seconds. He was just starting to freak out a little bit when it was ten minutes after the start time, but Sara and Anna came running in.

            “Sorry we’re late.” Sara breathed as Anna rushed to hug Mara. “Traffic was a nightmare.”

            “Oh thank God, is that what’s holding the other kids up?” Otabek asked, his grip on Yuri’s hand tightening a little bit. “We invited the whole class, but no one’s here yet.”

            “Oh shit, no one?”

            “Is that really bad?” Otabek winced. “Shit, please tell me people are coming.”

            Sara bit her lip and Yuri’s heart sank.

            “What is it?” Yuri asked. “Did something happen?”

            “I wasn’t going to tell you guys if it didn’t affect the turnout, but the teacher sent an email.”

            “No.” Otabek shook his head. “No way, what’d she say?”

            “Just um… That when parents decide if their kid is allowed to come to the party or not they should know that Mara has two dads for parents.”

            Yuri’s face paled. “Is no one coming?”

            “I don’t know.” Sara grimaced. “I’m so sorry, guys.”

            “What are we gonna do?” Otabek swallowed, looking at Yuri with those wide panicked eyes. “W-What do we do, Yuri her heart’s gonna be broken.”

            “I would just come up with something to tell her. She’s five, you know? She won’t catch on if you just say everyone’s busy, but um… I mean she doesn’t really get along with the other kids anyways right? I’m sure she’ll be happy with just Anna and her family.”

            “Shit.” Yuri leaned his head on Otabek’s shoulder. “I hate people. She’s just a little kid and it’s like the world just wants to punish her all the time.”

            “I’ll talk to her. Sara, we have skates in Anna’s size right at the table if you want to get her set up. We have walkers too if she’s scared of falling.”

            “Sounds good.” Sara gave his arm a squeeze then headed over to the girls just as Victor came over with the baby.

            “Hey what’s going on?” Victor asked, his eyes wide and concerned like Otabek’s as he bounced the baby back and forth.

            “No one’s coming.” Otabek said, his eyes cast down. “The teacher sent an email warning parents that Mara had gay parents and now none of them are coming?”

            “Are you serious?”

            “Yeah.”

            “Shit, maybe we should move before Yulia starts school. Jesus.” Victor huffed. “What are you gonna do?”

            “Make up some excuse, hope she buys it, try to make the day fun for her regardless I guess. I mean there’s still cake and we went overboard on the presents so.” Otabek took a deep breath. “I hate it, but what else can we do?”

            “Well she has her best friend right?”

            “Yeah, that’s gotta count for something.” Otabek gave Yuri’s hand a squeeze and cocked his head towards Mara. “Let’s just do our best, okay?”

            “Yeah.” Yuri nodded, swallowing the lump in his throat. It broke his heart that those shitty parents wanted to punish Mara like this.

            “Hey Kiddo, I have some bad news okay?” Otabek said when they walked up to her, picking her up right away, so he could hold her and be face to face with her. “It turns out the other kids were all really busy today and their parents couldn’t bring them, but we’re all still going to skate okay? Then you can have cake and open all your presents and everything. Mila and Georgi are going to come in a little bit to skate with you too, doesn’t that sound fun?”

            “No one else is coming?”

            “I’m sorry, Ladybug.”

            “It’s okay.” Mara shrugged. “I don’t like the other kids.”

            “Yeah?” Otabek laughed. “So you’re okay?”

            “Uh huh. Can I skate now?”

            “Well wait for Anna to get her skates on then help show her the ropes, okay? Be safe.”

            She gave another little nod and Otabek set her down, Yuri’s heart swelling as he watched her go right to Anna to help tie her skates.

            “We have an amazing fucking kid.” Yuri whispered as he watched them. “I mean holy shit.”

            “I know, are we killing it at parenting or is she just awesome?”

            “Little bit of both I think.”

            “That seems fair.”

            Once the girls got to skating, Otabek got to release his inner-DJ a bit and set up a playlist he’d made just for the occasion on the rink’s PA, taking Yuri out onto the ice to practice their dance a little bit and because the girls loved to watch them do it. It always made Mara giggle and Anna seemed to be in awe of the lifts. As long as Mara was smiling, they were happy to do anything right then. Georgi and Mila eventually joined and Victor and Yuuri traded off between the ice and holding the baby.

            They were pretty surprised by how much cake two little kids could go through and all of them had been so extra with the presents that she had a mountain of paper next to her when she finished opening them.

Over all, things went pretty fucking well despite everything. Yuri could get used to that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for how late this was!! I tried to make it pretty long to make up for it :)


	24. Chapter Twenty-Four - Wedding Bells

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the wedding chapter aaaa!!! Finishing this took so long oof sorry for the wait, but here it is! Expect one or POSSIBLY two more wrap up chapters and then a short bonus epilogue :) Thanks to everyone who's made it this far! This fic is a loooong boy

            It was time to fly to Japan for the wedding before they knew it. They arrived first along with Victor and Yuuri, of course with Mara and the baby in tow, and settled into their own rooms at the hot springs. Yuri forgot how much he adored Yuuri’s parents and they were kind enough to entertain Mara a little when they got there, so they could slip off to the hot spring and relax a bit after such a long flight. Mara was way too young to go, but they promised her they’d let Mari take her to one of the girl’s hot springs once the customers left.

            “Oh my God, this is heaven.” Yuri sighed when he sank into the water. There was a smaller hot tub sized spring the Katsukis had been kind enough to block off for them. A little wedding gift in addition to the room.

            “I don’t know, are people gonna see us?”

            “It’s a hot spring, Beka. Everyone’s naked.” He dunked himself under the warm water for a moment and sprung back up, grinning as he shook out his hair and pushing it back so it stayed out of his eyes. “I forget how shy you get here sometimes.”

            Otabek rolled his eyes and dropped the towel from around his waist, quickly stepping into the water and sitting next to him. “Oh holy shit that’s good.”

            “Yeah.” Yuri breathed, moving right over to sit in his lap and kiss the middle of his forehead.

            “How are you so comfortable naked in places like this?” Otabek smiled as he trailed his hands down Yuri’s sides, pausing at his hips to squeeze. “Don’t you get nervous about anything?”

            “I’m a little nervous about messing up my vows.”

            “Shit, me too. I’ll just make a few things up if I stumble.”

            “You’d just improvise your vows?” Yuri frowned, sticking out his lower lip in a sarcastic little pout before Otabek kissed him and slid a hand down to his ass.

“It’s just easy for me talk about loving you.” Otabek said, squeezing him under the water. “So are we sticking to our no sex until the wedding night rule?”

“Yes, there’s no way I’m gonna be sore beforehand. Plus, I don’t want us to pawn off Mara so much just because we’re in this romance bubble. We’re gonna be gone for a week.”

“I know Baby, we’re just taking a quick little break. Don’t worry.” Otabek turned his head and pressed a few kisses down Yuri’s neck. “I’m really excited.”

“Rehearsal dinners sound so dumb, I wish we were just having the wedding tomorrow.”

            “You say that now, but if anyone messed up the ceremony, you’d be pissed.”

            “I guess.” Yuri grimaced. “I just want to marry you.”

            “Soon.” Otabek laughed as he pressed a wet kiss to Yuri’s jaw. “Did you think about the separate bed thing?”

            “I don’t want to do it.” Yuri said, biting on his lower lip. “Do you? I mean, you usually have nightmares when you sleep somewhere unfamiliar, or there’s something kind of pressing. Plus, I want to cuddle with you. It’s our wedding weekend.” He leaned their foreheads together and put his wet hands on Otabek’s shoulders just to get him wet too as he nudged their noses together. “Do you think married sex will feel different?”

            “I don’t know.” Otabek laughed. “I guess we’ll find out. I’m pretty sure I’m gonna cry during the vows though, so don’t roast me too hard.”

            “Fuck off, I’m gonna cry too. We won’t be as bad as Victor and Yuuri were though.”

            “Oh my God, that was a lot.”

            “Yeah.” Yuri snickered as he pressed a kiss against Otabek’s cheek. He loved kissing his face after he’d just shaved. The skin was so soft. “If married sex turns out to be boring, we’re gonna have to turn to crazier kinks.”

            “Fine with me.” Otabek shrugged as he gave Yuri’s ass one more pinch, taking his hands back up to his hips. “I mean there was that one time like _way_ back when we’d been together like almost a year and I was fucking you in the back of my car and you called me-“

            “Oh my God, shut up, shut up.” Yuri said, splashing him with the water with one hand and covering his mouth with the other for a moment. “We don’t speak of that.”

            “I mean, hey, if you like calling me-“

            “Do _not_ say it.”

            “Daddy?”

            “Beka!” Yuri cackled, splashing him harder that time, so he got some water up his nose. “Stoppp, it was one time.”

            “I’m just saying.”

            Yuri rolled his eyes and ran his hand down Otabek’s chest. “You’re weird.”

            “I’m not the one who said it.” He smiled, leaning in to kiss the side of his neck. “I’m just teasing. You can like whatever you want, you’re about to be my husband.”

            “I’m not into that.”

            “If you say so.” Otabek reached up to run one wet hand through Yuri’s hair and kissed his chin. “I’d love you anyways.”

**

            Yuri felt like he was vibrating with excitement the rest of the day. He raced Mara around the whole complex three different times just to get some energy out and dragged Otabek to Minako’s original studio location to practice their dance so he could move around.

            Mara had her own room with the baby, so when they went to bed that night, he couldn’t sit still for the life of him.

            “Babe we’re not even in the honeymoon suite yet. Tomorrow’s the rehearsal, you have to chill.” Otabek laughed while Yuri sat straight up in bed, jiggling his leg while he fixated on the TV.

            “I know, I’m just so excited and I can’t sit still and you can’t fuck me right now, so I can’t sleep.” Yuri pouted, reaching one hand over to run through Otabek’s hair. “How are you so calm?”

            “I don’t know, I’m excited too. I’m just not as energetic as you are.” He sat himself up and leaned over to plant a kiss on Yuri’s cheek. “Lie down. I’ll give you a massage.”

            “That’s gonna make me want to have sex with you.”

            “Practice some self control, Babe.” Otabek got out of bed and gestured for Yuri to lie down. “Did you bring lotion?”

            “Bottom pocket of my suitcase.” Yuri said as he laid down on his stomach over the covers, watching as Otabek dug the lotion out of his bag. “Can you work my lower back?”

            “Sure.” Otabek said, walking back over and crawling onto the bed to straddle Yuri’s hips. “Just close your eyes and relax, okay?” He reached for the remote, so he could shut the TV off and squeezed some of the lotion onto Yuri’s back. “Are you just hyper, or are you worried?”

            “Both.”

            “Yeah?” Otabek started to spread the lotion around and bent down once to kiss Yuri’s shoulder. “What are you worried about?”

            “I don’t know, like, stuff going wrong at the ceremony? I want everything to be perfect.”

            “It doesn’t matter if something at the wedding goes wrong. The wedding’s just for fun.”

            “I know, I just want it to be nice.”

            “It’ll be nice.” Otabek kneaded his hands into Yuri’s lower back and he sighed, shutting his eyes and relishing in his fiancé’s touch.

            “I just can’t wait for it all. The honeymoon and the baby and everything.” Yuri felt Otabek move his hands up to release the tension in his shoulders and purred. “Right there, Beka.”

            “Here?” He pressed harder.

            “Yeah, shit. There.”

            Yuri swore Otabek had magic hands or something because after a few more minutes, he was almost asleep. He was still crazy excited, but Otabek’s hands on his back and his soft voice just lulled him there until they pulled apart and crawled under the covers with the lights out, Otabek holding him close and tight.

            “I love you.” Otabek whispered when they settled into each other. “Get some rest.”

            “Wake me up if you have a nightmare, okay? You usually have them with stuff like this going on.”

            “I will, Yura. Sleep tight.”

**

            Otabek woke up once during the night, but went right back to sleep after a few kisses and reassuring words. In the morning, they had a huge breakfast with the Katsukis, Victor, and the kids of course, before everyone else started to drift in. Victor practically toppled over himself running to hug Chris when he came and Minako wasn’t too far behind with the rest of Team Russia.

            By noon, they were having the ceremony rehearsal and Yuri had to step away three times to keep from tearing up too much. Mara was the cutest little flower girl and Makkachin was the most adorable ring bearer. Everything was perfect like Yuri imagined. The garden was gorgeous with plants that towered up above their heads, flowers bigger than his face, and the white floral arch that they’d say their vows under was even prettier than the pictures.

            When Mara was occupied playing with Victor in the grass after the ceremony run through, Yuri tugged Otabek off on one of the little side trails to the rose garden.

            “What are you doing?” Otabek laughed. “Babe, we have to go to the dinner.”

            “In a few minutes, I need you for just a second.” Yuri said as he wrapped his arms around Otabek’s neck. “Kiss me for a little while?”           

            “You’re that desperate?”

            “Yes, this place is perfect and everything’s beautiful and I’m dumb and emotional and I love you, so yeah.” Yuri pushed himself up and locked his lips against Otabek’s, translating all the love in his heart that he couldn’t put into words. He felt like his chest was just swelling. The only thing he wished was different was that his Grandpa couldn’t be at their wedding. Otabek kissed him back as soft and gentle as ever, his hands holding Yuri’s waist.

            “This garden was a great idea. I love it here.” Otabek whispered against Yuri’s lips, nuzzling their noses together. “I’m really fucking happy too.”

            “You’re gonna look so handsome tomorrow I’m like already crying.” Yuri said, hugging him instead and resting his head on Otabek’s shoulder. “I love you so much, Beka. I’m glad we’re doing this.”

            “I know, I’ve been kind of fantasizing about it since the day we met.”

            “That long?”

            “I mean, yeah. I knew it was gonna be you.” He shrugged. “Well, I knew I loved you when we first met, but you know, it was the first time we had sex that I knew I was gonna marry you.” Otabek mused, reaching one hand up to push Yuri’s hair out of his eyes. “Just the way we connected and how you kept making me laugh during it and how I had nightmares the first night we spent together, but you just comforted me and stuff without making me feel bad.” He shrugged and Yuri noticed he was blushing a little bit, something that was sometimes hard to catch on Otabek’s tan skin. “You’ve just always been the one.”

            “Aw, Beka.” Yuri gushed, hugging him even tighter and kissing the side of his neck just to feel him. “I knew after we first met too. I mean, you had a motorcycle _and_ a DJ job.”

            “Oh my God.” Otabek chuckled. “What did you ever see in me?”

            “A husband.” Yuri leaned up to kiss his cheek then pulled away to pluck one of the roses, picking off the thorns and sticking it behind Otabek’s ear. “Come on, let’s go play with Mara a little before the dinner.”

            Mara was the one really getting the most out of the garden. She was in awe of every little thing and Yuri took it upon himself to put her up on his shoulders and run her around the little nature trails.

            “Are you excited, Flower Girl?” Yuri asked as they carried her. “You’re gonna be great.”

            “I’m excited.” She giggled. “Are Victor and Yuuri gonna take me home?”

            “Yup. You sure you’re okay with that? You’ll get to play a lot with the baby and Makkachin while me and Beka are away, yeah?”

            “Yeah.” Mara mimicked, nodding her head. “Do I still have to go to school?”

            “Yes.” Otabek said. “But we’ll call you every night, okay? You can tell us all about what you’re learning.”

            She pouted a little, but Yuri kissed her head and brought her over to a tree with enormous cherry blossoms for her to see. The flowers kind of looked like his second tux for the reception and that felt like a tiny little sign from nature that they were doing the right thing.

            At the rehearsal dinner, Yuri stayed under Otabek’s arm and let everyone else make the cheesy toasts. Victor went on about them for almost five minutes and so did Yuuri, but he liked that everyone was so supportive of them. Everything seemed to be aligned for this to be perfect. It was meant to be and Yuri had never been more sure in his life of their relationship.

            He laid awake for hours after Otabek fell asleep last night, just grinning. Tomorrow would be the best day of his life.

**

            Parting to go get ready was probably the hardest part. The botanical garden had a reception center made for things like weddings, so they headed there with their outfits and went their separate ways. Victor came to help Yuri while Other Yuuri took the baby to go help Otabek and Mara. Mila stopped in to do his hair, which took three tries to get perfect, but when it did get there, he was over the moon about the way he looked. He was glad that he cut his hair in the end. It felt perfect.

            “You feel ready?” Victor asked as Yuri stood in front of the mirror. “Everything looks good out there.”

            “Yeah, I feel great.” He beamed. “I mean it’s just like everything’s finally come together, you know? We’re a real family.” His heart was already thumping like he was walking down the aisle. “I mean I wish Grandpa could have been here, but I feel like he’s watching and stuff. I even-“ Yuri moved to touch his wrist for the watch and stopped cold. “Shit.”

            “What?”

            “M-My Grandpa’s watch. I don’t have it.” Yuri gulped, running back over to his duffle bag to rummage through it. “Shit, shit.”

            “Is it lost?”

            “I-I think I just forgot to pack it, but _fuck_.” Yuri’s eyes welled up as he sifted through everything he’d brought. “I can’t get married without it. It’s like the only thing I have of his a-and Otabek’s the one who found it for me.”

            “Shit.” Victor sighed. “Well it sucks, but what can you do y’know? It doesn’t change anything.”

            Yuri shook his head. How could he forget something like that? He wanted to feel like he had some sort of connection to his Grandfather on a day as important as this. Plus, it was one of the biggest gestures Otabek had ever done for him. What was wrong with him? How could he forget something like that?

            “Are you okay?”

            “I-I just…” Yuri huffed and shoved the duffel bag aside as he stood back up, his stomach twisting and churning. “Fuck.”

            Victor sighed and chewed the inside of his cheek, glancing towards the dressing room door. “Do you want me to get Otabek?”

            “No, I’m not supposed to see him before the ceremony.” Yuri’s shoulders slumped. “I feel so dumb. I-I’m all nervous and shit now.” He reached for his vows in his coat pocket and swore when he didn’t feel them. _What the fuck is wrong with me_? He’d taken the note cards out to practice last night when he couldn’t sleep and he forgot to put them back. He didn’t have them memorized and it wasn’t like he didn’t know what to say, but he felt awful that he’d forgotten all of this stuff. This was their fucking _wedding_ , how could he be the one messing things up?

            “What now?”

            Yuri swallowed the lump in his throat and just shook his head.

            “Yuri?”

            “I forgot my fucking notecards too. I-I’m gonna butcher my vows.”

            “Oh, Yuri.” Victor took a deep breath. “Are you o-“

            “Nope.” He swallowed. “Nope, nope, nope, I-I’m not. This is supposed to be perfect. O-Otabek’s done so much for me and I couldn’t even remember my fucking vows? H-How am I husband material if I can’t even do this simple shit?” Yuri’s breath started to pick up and his chest tightened.

            “I’m gonna go get Otabek.”

            “I’m not supposed to see him, don’t do-“

            “Yuri, he’d kill me if I let you be upset on your wedding day without him. It’s fine, okay?” Victor gave his shoulder a squeeze. “Just stay here, I’ll be right back.”

            Yuri’s mouth quivered and he looked away, staying silent as Victor ran out of the dressing room. He’d been so worried that something out of their control would go wrong, but he’d been the one to mess things up. He felt like he could cry, but the last thing he wanted to do was fuck up the foundation Mila had caked onto his face.

            “Yura?” Otabek’s voice came from behind the door. “Hey, can I come in?”

            Yuri rolled his eyes and went to open the door. Victor didn’t have to go running to Otabek just because he was a little sniffly. Now Otabek would know he forgot his fucking vow cards.

            “Hey Baby, what’s wrong?” Otabek said, immediately stepping in and shutting the door, so he could hold Yuri’s face. “What can I do for you?”

            “Nothing, I was just stupid.” Yuri sniffed, angry at himself for getting so teary eyed over this. “I forgot Grandpa’s watch and I left the cards with my vows on them in our room.”

            “That’s no big deal, Yura. He’s with us with or without that watch and I know you have plenty of stuff to say out there.” Otabek turned his head and kissed the corner of Yuri’s mouth. “Just take some deep breaths.”

            “You’re not anxious at all?”

            “Not even a little.” Otabek laughed. “Can you believe that?” He trailed his hands down Yuri’s sides until he could stop at his hips. “Jesus, you look so fucking good.”

            “I didn’t want you to see me.” Yuri blushed. “Victor was kind of insistent.”

            “Well, I’m glad he got me. I don’t want you to be upset over little things. All that matters is that we’re getting married, yeah? Nothing else is important today.” Otabek gave him a real kiss at that and held himself there until Yuri relaxed against him, moving his lips back and letting Otabek drag just the tip of his tongue over his lower lip. “Are you gonna be okay?” Otabek whispered, arms locked around Yuri’s waist. “I can stay here a few minutes.”

            Yuri nodded and let his head drop onto Otabek’s shoulder. “You’re not mad I forgot the cards?”

            “Of course not.”

            “Okay… Do you like the hair and everything?”

            “I love it.” Otabek laughed as he squeezed him tight. “Wait till you see Mara. Mila did her hair and she’s all psyched about it.”

            “Really?”

            “Yeah, you’re gonna cry.” Otabek pressed a kiss to the tip of Yuri’s nose and gave him one last squeeze. “Are you gonna be okay?”

            “Yeah.” Yuri smiled, reaching over to straighten Otabek’s tux a little. “Sorry.”

            “I mean something has to go wrong, yeah? This seems pretty low key.”

            “I think I’m just kind of nervous.”

            “Don’t be. This is gonna be fun, yeah?” Otabek leaned in extra close and planted a little kiss on his ear before lowering his voice. “If you feel nervous, just think about everything I’m gonna do to you in that Honeymoon Suite.” He squeezed Yuri’s hips one more time then pulled away. “See you out there, Babe.”

            Yuri swallowed and nodded his head, face pink as Otabek opened the door to leave. That was about to be his husband. _Wouldn’t have it any other way,_ he thought to himself when Otabek shut the door. How did he get so lucky?

**

            Yuri was actually happy they didn’t have anyone to walk either of them down the aisle. They did it together, hand in hand with all of their friends watching from white lawn chairs as an Otabek-approved sound system played a more rounded out string quartet addition of “Here Comes The Bride.” Yuri was already tearing up from seeing Mara walk in front of them with her little flower pedals and by the time they were standing under the arch with the Justice of the Peace, he was ready to burst.

            Otabek was a little more composed, grinning at him with excited brown eyes and he just looked so fucking handsome in that tux, a white flower in his lapel to match Yuri’s white tux. The garden was such a beautiful backdrop to it all and Yuri’s heart swelled when the ceremony began.

            Yuri was first with his vows and it took a lot of deep breaths to get him started. “This is as cheesy as I’m ever going to be in my entire life, so if anyone tapes it besides our photographer, I’m suing.” He looked over at Victor and laughed a little, his face red when he turned to Otabek. “I’m um… I-I’m a lot different for knowing you, Beka. I was trying to find myself and I was angry and I was lonely and then you came and just, shit I know I’m gonna curse a lot in this.” Yuri blushed. “Sorry, um I-I just… I-I feel like my life was missing something so huge and when I met you, everything just got better and we went through so much and you loved me through all of it. You were patient with me when I had to learn all of this crazy shit, how to take care of you, how to take care of myself, take care of a kid now.” He grinned at that, remembering the look on Mara’s face just a moment ago when she went down the aisle herself. “And now I just feel like a more complete person and it’s all because I have you and because you love me and now I’m gonna stop before I cry.”

            “Aw, Yura.” Otabek snickered, reaching up to brush away a small tear that had just barely made it’s way down Yuri’s cheek. “The house that me and Mara came from was so, so devoid of love that I didn’t know if it was something I’d ever be able to find, but you just completely picked me up from that place. You’ve been with me through every single one of the hardest times in my life and every time, you’ve just been so patient and so kind to me and when I met you, you’d curse out anything that moved, but then we’d be alone together and you’d just be this soft, sweet guy who always tried to make dinner and always burned it.”    

            “Beka.” Yuri rolled his eyes, but he was still smiling.

            Otabek squeezed his hands again. “I don’t know where I would have ended up without you, or what me and Mara would have done after Mom and Dad died. We have a life now because we have you to take care of us and I’ll never, ever forget everything that you’ve done for me and for her. I just want to be with you for the rest of my life and I don’t think I’d be here at all if it wasn’t for you.” He pulled his hand away for a moment to wipe his eyes and laughed. “Shit, I’m crying too.”

            The Justice of the Peace carried on with the formalities and Yuri just beamed right at Otabek while they echoed the “I do’s,” in both Russian and Kazakh. This was it. He would be with Otabek _forever_ and no matter what happened to them down the road, this man was something he would always have. He got so lost just staring into Otabek’s eyes and relishing in how happy they both were that he almost missed it when the Justice said, “you may kiss the groom.”

            “Come here.” Otabek said in that quiet, gentle voice before stepping forward to close the gap and kissed him.

            Yuri nearly toppled them over with how hard he kissed back, flinging his arms around Otabek’s shoulders and pressing his lips back as hard as he could without actually injuring their mouths. His heart was racing like it was the first time as everyone cheered and the music started to play again. “I love you.” He mumbled against Otabek’s lips. “I love you.” He kissed him again. “Beka, I fucking love you so much.”

            “I got it, Babe.” Otabek grinned, nuzzling his nose against Yuri’s when they parted. “I love you too.”

            Yuri felt a familiar pair of little arms wrap around his leg and bent down to pick up Mara, both of them smothering her chubby face in little kisses until she giggled and they carried her back down the aisle with them. Yuri didn’t notice he was crying until they’d walked inside the reception area and everyone else started to flow in behind them. He was still smiling, but his cheeks were a little wet.

            “You want to go put on outfit number two?” Otabek asked as he reached up to wipe the tear tracks from Yuri’s face. “You might need a little touch up on the foundation.”

            “Shit.” Yuri sniffled, giving Mara a squeeze before passing her to Otabek. “I’ll be right back. Be ready for me, okay? I have high expectations for your dance performance.”

            “You know I’m gonna fall or something.”

            “Just do your best.” Yuri rolled his eyes and planted a quick peck on Otabek’s cheek before dashing off to change into his second suit. He was glad they’d decided on the second outfit. The hot pink was just a little more him and he wanted the reception to be fun, not overly formal, or cheesy like the ceremony was, although he wouldn’t have changed that moment for the world. When he walked back out, everyone was in their seats at the reception, dinner soon to be served, and waiting for the first dance to take place.

            “You ready?” Yuri grinned, walking up to Otabek and giving Mara a kiss on the cheek where he held her. “We’ll be back to dance with you right after the first song, okay?”

            “Okay.” She laughed and let Yuri carry her over to where Victor was sitting with Yuuri, the baby, Mila, and Yakov. It was their little Team Russia table.

            “Are you guys starting?” Victor asked, taking Mara in his lap.

            “Otabek’s gonna queue the music up.”

            “I like the pink.”

            “Me too.” Yuri grinned, smoothing it out a bit. “You guys get up there after the first song, yeah? You can dance with the baby.”

            Yulia chirped from Yuuri’s arms as if to respond and Yuri’s heart warmed thinking about the little one they would be adopting soon.

            “DJ Booth is all set up, our song’s ready to go when you are.” Otabek said, coming up from behind and putting his hand on Yuri’s waist. “Ready?”

            “Yeah.” Yuri smiled, leaning into his touch and pressing a little kiss to Otabek’s jaw. Being honest, he sort of wished the reception would just end after their dance. He wanted to go back to that honeymoon suite and make love with his _husband_ , his fucking _husband_. Every time the light caught on their wedding rings, his heart skipped.

            Otabek led him to the dance floor and dashed over to the DJ booth a moment as all the eyes turned towards them, pressing a button on his laptop before running back to get in the starting position with him.

            “It’s so dorky that we’re doing this.” Yuri laughed, taking Otabek’s hand.

            “I know and I love it.”

            The music started and Otabek, literally, swept Yuri off his feet, moving him across the floor and dipping down with even more grace than he’d shown in the living room before. Everyone aww’d a little bit and Yuri couldn’t help but grin as they moved together, Otabek holding him so close and tight that he never wanted the song to end. Whenever their eyes met, Yuri smiled wider, looking at the glow in Otabek’s eyes and feeling his face flush at the sight of so much love and excitement in the expression of his _husband_. That word made him want to cry as Otabek spun him with ease, pulling him back in with a gentle hand on his waist. This man was completely his for the rest of his life. They could dance for as long as they wanted to.

            When they ended, a little out of breath and both grinning like crazy, Yuri felt a tear trickle down his cheek and laughed while everyone clapped for them. “When am I going to stop crying today?”

            “It’s cute.” Otabek said, pulling him into a hug and kissing the top of his head. “I love my soft Yuri.”

            “I’m not that soft.”

            “I know, but I love your sweet side.” Otabek held on to him as the next song he’d queued started and other people started to make their way to the dance floor, pulling back only so he had enough room to lean in again and kiss him.

            Yuri put his hand on the back of Otabek’s neck and kissed him back with all the love his heart was bursting with, feeling how perfectly their lips always fit together like they were perfectly made for each other. “I’m so happy.” He whispered against Otabek’s mouth, still smiling. “I love you, Beka.”

            “I love you too, Yura.” Otabek smiled back, pressing his lips to the center of Yuri’s forehead. “I’m glad we did this.”

            They spent the better part of the next hour dancing around with Mara, so they could get as much time with her as possible before the honeymoon.

            When everyone sat down to eat, Yuri got a chance to play with Baby Yulia for a little while and it made his heart soar. Her tiny little face and hands were always trying to grab his nose. When she started to fuss, Otabek took her and a minute of cooing was enough to settle her down completely. Yuri thought he was going to actually melt into a puddle when he saw that.

            They were both eager to get to the honeymoon suite and make everything official, but after the reception, they made sure to say a proper goodbye to Mara.

            “We’ll be back before you know it okay? We’re leaving before you get up in the morning, but we’ll be home after a week.” Otabek said when he tucked her into her bed at the hot springs. “Be good for Victor and Yuuri, okay?”

            “Okay.” She peeped, looking over to Yuri for her goodnight hug from him too.

            “We’ll miss you like crazy.” Yuri said as he squeezed her. “We’re gonna call every night, okay? Pay attention in school and let Victor and Yuuri help you with any homework.” He kissed the top of her head. “You gonna be okay without us?”

            “Yeah.” Mara yawned as Yuri put the comforter up to her shoulders.

            They both told her goodnight and shut her light off on the way out, Otabek closing the door behind them. “You ready?” He grinned as he took Yuri’s hands. “Our stuff’s already in the honeymoon suite.”

            “Yeah, turn around.”

            “Huh?” Otabek laughed, turning, so Yuri was facing his back. “What are you-“

            Yuri jumped up on his back and pointed towards the stairs. “Take me away Mr. Altin-Plisetsky.”

            “Aw that’s really my name now.” Otabek gushed, locking his arms under Yuri’s legs to piggyback him up the stairs to their room. “You think married sex is the magical monogamous fantasy we’ve always dreamed of?”

            “Shut up, it’s gonna be great.” Yuri said as Otabek reached the top of the stairs. “Am I really this light?”

            “You barely weigh a hundred pounds.” Otabek set him down, so he could open the door and gave him a kiss on the cheek. “You still kick ass though.”

            Yuri stepped into the room and aww’d at all the effort the Katsuki family had put into it. The bed was huge and gorgeous, a gold bedspread and four posts, but there was a bottle of champagne in an ice bucket next to it and all of their things were organized neatly in the corner by the closet. He walked in a bit further to peer into the bathroom where there was a huge shower stall with three faucets and damn if that wouldn’t feel perfect after what they were about to do.

            “I love that we did this.” Otabek said, locking the door and wrapping his arms around Yuri’s waist from behind. “Can I take you?”

            “Have you thought about what you want?”

            “I was about to ask you that.” Otabek laughed as he squeezed Yuri’s hips. “I think we should cum once before we fuck, so we can last for that part. I’m kind of keyed up.”

            “Me too.” Yuri nodded, tilting his head to the side, so Otabek could take the hint and kiss his neck.

            “I want do some of the stuff you like, but are usually too embarrassed to do.” Otabek said, pressing a kiss to Yuri’s skin after ever few words, his hand drifting to his abdomen, so it was just close enough to tease him. “Can I rim you?”

            Yuri’s heart thumped and he nodded, undoing the button on his blazer. “You’ve never told anyone I like that, right?”

            “I don’t talk about our sex life. That’s for us, you know?” Otabek stepped around to face him and nuzzled their noses together before catching Yuri in a proper kiss, pulling his shirt up out of his pants and undoing the buttons one by one until Yuri could slide out of it.

            “I love your torso.” Otabek said with a cheesy smile, stroking his hands down Yuri’s sides just to feel the skin.

            “Seriously? You’re the chiseled one.”

            “You don’t have to be buff to be toned. Your chest is really strong and so’s your core.” Otabek put a flat hand on his stomach and pressed to feel his abs. “I love how you’re built.”

            “Well if you’d take your stupid clothes off, I could compliment you too.”

            Otabek rolled his eyes and pressed another kiss to the corner of Yuri’s mouth. “Get naked. I’ll be right there.”

            Yuri pulled back and undid the cummerbund, thumbing the tuxedo pants open as he watched Otabek get undressed. How lucky was he that he got to fuck _that_ for the rest of his life? That was his. He stripped down to his underwear and left that on, wanting Otabek to relish in the sheer pink underwear he’d bought for this and how it clung perfectly to his hips. He walked over and laid down on the bed stomach-down, blushing as Otabek dropped his boxer briefs to the floor with the rest of their clothes.

            “You look beautiful.” Otabek grinned as he walked up to the bed, sliding in beside him and leaning down to kiss him for a minute, their tongues curling around and dragging against each other. “Can I?”

            Yuri bit his lip, feeling his face heat up with the embarrassment of admitting how much he liked it when Otabek used his mouth that way. It was easier when they’d already started sex, or if they were just out of their minds horny, but this was slow and intimate. The words carried more weight. “Yeah.” He whispered. “Can you dim the lights first?”

            “Sure, Baby.” Otabek cooed, pressing one more kiss to his closed lips before pulling away one last time to dig the lube and condoms (in case Yuri wanted them) out of the suitcase and dim the lights, so it was just dark enough for comfort, but not enough that they couldn’t see each other. “For when we need it.” He said as he put their supplies on the bed next to Yuri. “Just close your eyes and relax, yeah? I’ll make you feel good.”

            Yuri nodded at him and spread his legs a little more to give him permission. The bedspread felt like silk against his thighs and he shivered as Otabek kissed his way down his back. He was already a little hard, but when he lifted his hips and Otabek peeled his underwear off, he could have moaned. Otabek’s hands were on his ass in seconds and soon, he felt the warmth of Otabek’s tongue between his legs, massaging the most sensitive place. “ _Beka_.” He whimpered, rolling his hips against the bed. “Can you touch the other part too?”

            Otabek brought two fingers up by his mouth and did just what Yuri asked, pressing them against his perineum and massaging the spot to ease a whine out of Yuri.

            “Fuck, Otabek.” Yuri groaned, Otabek’s tongue lapping at him like he was made of sugar or something. He was already painfully hard, grinding against the mattress to get as much friction as he could get. He could hear the mattress creaking as Otabek did the same thing and that made it all the more pleasurable, knowing that Otabek still got so aroused just by making Yuri feel good. He squirmed against his mouth and panted as his cock leaked under him. “Beks, I can’t last when we do it like this. I-I’m like right there.”

            “Turn over.”

            Yuri did and hooked his legs over Otabek’s shoulders, moaning when his _husband_ took his cock in his mouth and swallowed around him. “I love you.” He groaned, pushing his hips up into Otabek’s warm mouth and gripping his hair with both hands. “Jesus fucking Christ, how do you still do this to me?” Yuri gasped as Otabek sucked him, his fingers still pressing up against his spot as he got closer and closer to orgasm until- “A-Ahh!” He cried out, his thighs tensing against Otabek’s head as he came down his throat.

Fucking hell, he couldn’t believe how good Otabek was at that still. He took his legs away as soon as he finished and grabbed Otabek’s shoulders, pushing him onto his back and dragging his mouth down his neck. “Let me suck you.” He breathed, sliding down Otabek’s body. “Have I told you I fucking love your cock?” Yuri said, looking up at him when he took his erection in his hand. “Seriously, Otabek, _fuck_ I mean it’s so big, but like not big enough to hurt me and you leak so fucking much when you’re turned on and I just want it in my mouth like every time I see it.”

“Jesus, Yura, don’t make me cum before you put it in your mouth.” Otabek laughed, running a hand through Yuri’s hair before taking hold of it. “I can’t believe you can be so cute while talking about stuff like this.”

“Think I can look cute while sucking your dick?”

“Probably.”

Yuri laughed a little and moved down to finish him, relaxing his gag reflex, so he could take Otabek fully in his mouth. Otabek was always putting in so much effort to make him feel good and he wanted to give him the same. He breathed hard through his nose and bobbed his head back and forth until Otabek’s thighs started to tremble.

            “Yura.” Otabek sighed, his hand tightening on his hair. “Just like that, Yura. M-More tongue.”

            Yuri complied and dragged his tongue up and down his shaft, shivering at how his cock twitched in his mouth when he did it. He started to hum and suppressed a smile when Otabek bucked his hips, his breath getting heavier and his muscles tensing. He moved until Otabek gasped and his mouth became full with everything he emptied onto Yuri’s tongue, letting him swallow around him until the orgasm passed and Yuri realized Otabek had started to sweat a little with the energy it took. “I think married sex is pretty good, how about you?” Yuri laughed as he crawled over him, nuzzling their noses together while they both caught their breath.

            “Any kind of sex with you is good.” Otabek sighed, sliding his hand down Yuri’s back. “I’ll be ready in a minute.”

            “Me too.”

            Otabek leaned forward and kissed Yuri for a short moment, his hands running over his body just to touch him. “I can’t believe you’re my husband.”

            “I can’t believe _you’re_ my husband.”

            “God, we’re worse than Victor and Yuuri.” Otabek sighed, giving him a squeeze and a kiss on the top of his head. “You know when Mara gets older she’s gonna take way more of an issue with the constant PDA.”

            “Mm, she’ll deal.” Yuri leaned up and peppered his face in little kisses, reaching one hand up to cup his face. “I like your face.”

            “That’s good. You’re kind of stuck with it now.”

            Yuri rolled his eyes and rolled off of him, peeling the comforter back and grabbing the lube. “You can come and prep me if you want.”

            “You sure?”

            “Yeah, I’m ready.” Otabek moved onto his hands and knees and crawled over to give him another kiss and take the lube. “Do you want to be under the covers?”

            “Kind of? It makes me feel closer to you because everything’s all confined and it keeps the heat in. Do you mind?”

            “No, I like that too.” Otabek slid under the covers with him and took Yuri right into his arms.

            Married sex was definitely, _definitely_ superior so far. Otabek was so slow and gentle, but still taking the time to tease him. Yuri didn’t need a lot of preparation, but they spent a while on it anyways, just kissing and mumbling sweet little words of affection while Otabek’s fingers stretched him out. Yuri was already covered in sweat by the time Otabek got on top of him and when the actual sex began, he thought he was going to lose his mind.

            Otabek just filled him up completely and his heart swelled with every thrust of his hips. Not to mention his fucking hands. They were constantly running through his hair, down his sides, rubbing his nipples as they moved their bodies together, Yuri whimpering and Otabek groaning.

            “Beka.” Yuri cried, his head tipping back as Otabek snapped his hips forward again. “Fuck me. Jesus Christ, fuck me Beka.”

            “I fucking love you.” Otabek moaned, turning his head to drag his tongue over Yuri’s neck, one hand finally sliding down to jack him off.

            Yuri wrapped his legs around Otabek’s hips to get that final angle and they both gasped, clinging on to each other with tensing muscles. Otabek had been right about having an orgasm prior to the actual intercourse. They weren’t on hair triggers and savored the build up, moaning and rolling their hips to help the other get there.

            “Yura, I’m gonna cum.” Otabek breathed, pressing his forehead against Yuri’s.

            Yuri whined at the feeling of his cock pressed so hard up against his spot and nodded his head, his nails scraping down Otabek’s back. “Cum in me. I’m right there.”

            “Fuck.” Otabek thrusted a few more times then stuck his face in Yuri’s neck, his hips stuttering until Yuri felt that familiar warmth and wetness inside of him, Otabek trembling and groaning as he finished.

            That sound was enough to send Yuri over the edge and he tightened his legs around Otabek’s hips, slamming their lips together, so he’d swallow his moans as they both finished.

            “Oh my God.” Yuri breathed when Otabek slumped over him, hugging him tight. “That was something.”

            “You have no idea how in love I am with you.” Otabek mumbled, pressing a few lazy kisses to Yuri’s jaw. “I just never know how to say it. Like, I say I love you and shit all the time, but I don’t know if you understand how deep that feeling is. Like, I can’t even imagine not having you.”

            “I feel the same way.” Yuri laughed. “Like we say I love you so much, but I don’t know if you always get how much I mean that.” He brought his hand up to see the wedding ring. “But if you feel like I do, then I get it.”

            “Yeah.” Otabek smiled, lifting his head to plant a sweet kiss on Yuri’s cheek.   
“Want to go try out that big ass shower?”

            “Oh fuck yes.” Yuri nodded. “Beka, I love you, but nobody can sleep with this much semen in them.”

            “Oh my God.” Otabek rolled his eyes, but gave him one more peck on the lips before pulling out and climbing off the bed. “You can get the water first.”


	25. Chapter Twenty-Five - Deep Dive

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Honeymoon! Wrapping the story up! Woo! (Final epilogue to come in the next week)

            “You know they’re like super pro-gay in Hawaii and stuff?” Yuri said as he sat snuggled into Otabek, waiting for the plane to take off. It was a long flight, so they’d brought pillows and blankets, the first class seats giving them plenty of room to get comfy. “That’ll be nice. We never get to go places like that.”

            “Yeah, it’ll be good to relax.” Otabek smiled, giving Yuri a squeeze and a kiss on top of his head. “You’re so cute right now. I love Sweatpants Yuri.”

            “Mm, well we’re gonna be here a while.” Yuri said as the plane started to move forward. It wasn’t crowded either, which was nice. He didn’t feel embarrassed about putting the armrest up and cuddling close with him, head rested on Otabek’s shoulder as the plane got closer to take off. “I know you don’t like flying. Just close your eyes, yeah? I can be a teddy bear for a few minutes.”

            “Stop being so adorable.” Otabek sighed, squeezing tight as the plane picked up speed and lifted off.

            Yuri felt him tense as they gained speed and height and pressed his lips to Otabek’s neck, his hand stroking his thigh under the blanket until he relaxed a little bit. “Good?”

            Otabek nodded and pressed his lips into Yuri’s hair. “I love you.”

            The plane vibrated as it accelerated and finally leveled out, Yuri shutting his eyes as Otabek stroked a hand through his hair. “I love you too, Beka.” He felt more secure than ever. He didn’t think being married would change much, but there was just an amazing sense of peace of mind with those wedding bands around their fingers. No matter what came their way, they were together and the honeymoon would just bring them closer. Yuri kept his eyes closed and nestled right into his husband, his heart feeling wide open as they flew. He wondered if he’d ever been happier than right then.

**

            “Oh my God, fuuuuck.” Yuri groaned when he jumped onto the bed for the first time. He loved the place already. The resort had a spa, a private beach, but most importantly, their own private cabin right by the water. He didn’t care too much for all the tropical design stuff, but the fucking _bed_ , it was like a cloud. He was sore from the flight and adjusting to the hot weather. He could crash for a good twelve hours.

            “You’re so cute.” Otabek said, taking a picture with the good camera.

            “You’re taking pictures of me being jet lagged?”

            “I want us to save everything we can. It’s our honeymoon.”

            “That’s cute.” Yuri yawned. “Come lie down with me.”

            “You want to get under the covers?”

            “No, it’s hotttt.” He whined, grabbing one of the pillows and hugging it against his chest.

            “Babe, it’s air conditioned in here.”

            “Turn it up.”

            Otabek rolled his eyes and kicked off his shoes, taking the pillow from Yuri’s arms and snuggling in to his arms.

            “Oh fuck.”

            “What?”

            “You’re _warm_.” Yuri huffed. “Beka, I’m gonna melt.”

            “Hey you invited me.” Otabek frowned, leaning in to press a kiss to Yuri’s forehead. “I expect more from a husband.”

            “Well I expect _my_ husband to know how to cool me off.”

            “We could get in the ocean.”

            Yuri crinkled his nose.

            “Babe, we’re in Hawaii.” Otabek laughed, reaching up to tuck Yuri’s hair back behind his ear. “We could do the waterfall instead. I know you’re excited about that.”

            “How can we have waterfall sex before we even break the bed in? You have no priorities. How could I marry you?” Yuri nuzzled his nose against Otabek’s chin.

            “Mm, would you be more adventurous if I blew you right now?”

            “You know if you did that, I think I could forgive you.”

            “Fair enough.” Otabek pressed one more kiss to his cheek and slid his way down the bed, the sound of the ocean and the breeze filling the room once they stopped talking and Yuri let him pull down the front of his sweatpants. Otabek was just about to pull it out when his phone started to buzz in his back pocket.

            “Ughh who’s calling us on a honeymoon?” Yuri pouted.

            Otabek pulled his phone out, keeping a hand on Yuri’s hip until he saw who it was. “Oh it’s Victor, hold on.”

            “Really?”

            “It might be Mara.”

            “Oh.” He blinked. “Yeah, shit, answer.”

            Otabek swiped the phone and got out of bed as he answered. “Hello?”

            Yuri sighed and laid back as he watched him. He hoped nothing was wrong, but he wanted to stick with just calling her once a night. Hearing their voices throughout the day might make her miss them too much.

            “Hey Victor, what’s up?” Otabek frowned, sitting back on the side of the bed and reaching one hand back to stroke Yuri’s thigh. “Oh shit, did she eat something bad? Does she have her doll because she really needs that when she’s sick.”

            “Is she okay?” Yuri whispered and Otabek bit his lip.

            “Does she have a fever?”

            Yuri stuck out his lower lip and came to sit next to him, still not able to hear what Victor was saying, but the concerned look on Otabek’s face said everything.

            “Put her on the phone with me please.” Otabek pulled away from the phone a moment and sighed. “She has a stomach virus it sounds like.”

            “Oh shit I feel bad that they’re having to deal with that.”

            “I know.” He put the phone back to his ear and waited a moment before smiling at the sound of Mara’s voice. “Hey Ladybug, you’re not feeling good? What’s up?”

            Yuri leaned in to press a few kisses to his neck, but Otabek leaned away.

            “Make sure you drink a lot of water, okay? Tell Victor or Yuuri every time you throw up. They won’t get mad. Let them take you to the doctor if they say so, yeah?”

            Why did Otabek have to go dad mode like this? He wanted to talk to Mara too, but now he was kind of slighted by Otabek leaning away and a little annoyed at how fast he’d ignored him. He knew that was insanely petty. Their kid was sick, but this was their honeymoon and he was a little more on the needy side for the time being.

            “Okay Sweetie, hang in there. Love you, okay?” Otabek hung up and sighed, tossing his phone back on the mattress. “She’s never been that sick with us, I hate that we’re not there.”

            “Yeah.” Yuri shrugged, moving back and lying down.

            “Do you still want me to-“

            “It’s fine.”

            “Are you sure?” Otabek frowned. “Did I do something?”

            “It’s whatever, I’m just tired.” He didn’t want to start a fight over something small while they were on vacation.

            “Do you want me to get the lights? We can just take a nap and maybe go out for drinks when we wake up or something?”

            Otabek’s hand came to Yuri’s shoulder, but he tensed and immediately hated himself for it. Fuck, he was acting like a child.

            “What did I do?” Otabek swallowed, his voice soft and nervous. “I’m sorry I answered the phone Yura, but it was Mara and-“

            “I’m not mad you answered the phone, Beka.” Yuri said, rolling over, so he could look at him. “I just… You could have let me talk to her too. I’m a parent same as you are.”

            “Oh shit, Yuri I’m sorry.” Otabek said, his eyes wide as he reached for his hand and squeezed it hard. “I just thought you were kind of keyed up because I was about to, like, you know. When they called? I didn’t mean to do that.”

            “It’s fine, just next time okay?”

            “Yeah.” Otabek nodded, running his thumb over the back of Yuri’s hand. “Shit.”

            “Don’t be anxious, I didn’t mean to be cold like that. A nap actually sounds kind of nice, you want to turn the lights off?”

            “Sure.” Otabek leaned down and planted a kiss on the middle of Yuri’s forehead to apologize before he got up and closed all the curtains in the cabin.

            The more he looked around, the more Yuri started to like the whole tropical thing. It was different and cozy and the sound of the ocean made him want to relax. He stripped down to his boxers for comfort and slid under the covers while Otabek shut the lights off and opened his arms for him.

            “Here.” Otabek dropped his jeans, so they wouldn’t scratch Yuri and slid in next to him, snuggling into his chest and kissing Yuri’s jaw. “I just want to hug you.”

            “Aw.” Yuri laughed. “You’re kind of a dork.”        

            “Your dork though. Want to go watch the sunset after this? We’ll probably wake up in time and we can make out on the beach like obnoxious newlyweds.” He pressed a few kisses to Yuri’s neck for emphasis and Yuri laughed in response, wrapping his arms around his husband and squeezing tight. “We’ll call Mara again later and you can talk to her.”

            “Sounds good.” Yuri said as he nuzzled his nose against Otabek’s hair. “I wonder if drunk on Pina Coladas Otabek is different than drunk on Vodka Otabek.”

            “Guess we’ll find out.” He yawned in response. “Long as you drink with me.”

**

            Drunk on Bahama Mamas and Pina Coladas was a hundred percent different than being wasted on grocery store wine, or Russian vodka. They went to the tiki bar and after drink number seven, Yuri was falling over himself and letting Otabek spin him around the outdoor dance floor. Otabek wasn’t much better, tripping over his own feet and holding onto Yuri for support, smothering him in kisses every chance he got.

            “Let’s go to the beach.” Otabek grinned, his arms around Yuri’s waist as he leaned in to talk over the luau music. “I want to make out with you on the sand like Disney couples and shit.”

            “Take me. I literally don’t know what direction it’s in.” Yuri said as he hugged Otabek’s shoulders. “Carry me.”

            “Babe I am in no condition.”

            “Okay.” He snickered, his face warm from the alcohol as Otabek lead them clumsily off the dance floor to the boardwalk, grasping his hand for balance as they walked together.

The ocean breeze was easy to follow, so they made their way to the sand soon and fell down together under the moonlight, a few feet from where the water was ebbing up. No one else seemed to be there, so Yuri didn’t hesitate to pull Otabek on top of him. He usually hated the feeling of sand against clothes of any kind, but right then, everything just felt soft.

Their kisses were sloppy and drunk, but Yuri loved how it felt, stroking his hands down Otabek’s back to grab his ass through his shorts, pressing their hips together as they made out right there in the sand. He was never going to get that shit out of his hair.

“Beka.” Yuri panted, craning his head back as Otabek sucked on his neck. “I have like a fucking speedo on under this, take my clothes off.”

“I’m really drunk, but you know we can’t fuck out here, yeah?”

            “I know, but we definitely don’t have to wear pants.”

            “Lift up.”

            Yuri did and Otabek pulled his shirt up, fumbling a bit to get a hold of it at first before Yuri was able to ungracefully wiggle out of the fabric once it was up enough. Otabek rolled off him a moment and it took both of them to get the button of his shorts undone, but soon they were off and he was left in just the black bikini bottoms that unfortunately resembled Victor’s all too well.

            “I’m gonna mark you.” Otabek mumbled, running his hands down Yuri’s sides and sucking hard on his neck.

            “Please do.” Yuri said as he splayed himself out on the sand for Otabek’s mouth.

            Without any big buildings or cities nearby, Yuri could really see the stars as Otabek’s mouth worked over his neck and down to his chest. He liked being this kind of drunk especially with Otabek. Everything tingled more, he felt so warm, and Otabek’s skin against his was like heaven.

            “Can I tell you something?” Otabek said in a quiet voice, kissing back up to Yuri’s collar before he looked up at him.

            “Yeah of course.” Yuri nodded, his words a little slurred as he reached up to run his hands through that hair. Otabek had such thick fucking hair and he never touched it enough. “Are you upset?”

            “No.” Otabek laughed before leaning up to nuzzle their noses together, getting distracted in the drunkenness a little bit and kissing him again for a minute before he found his train of thought. “I just want to tell you that I feel ready about the baby. I um… I-I kind of doubted it at first and I don’t know if you ever figured that out and stuff, but if you did, I’m sorry. I’m happy we’re adopting.”

            “I didn’t know.” Yuri frowned, cupping Otabek’s face in his hands. “You’re happy now though?”

            “So fucking happy.”

            “Mm.” Yuri leaned up and caught him in another kiss, tasting the left over rum on his tongue and cupping the back of his head. “Let’s go swimming.” He murmured, pressing one more kiss against Otabek’s lips. “I wanna swim with you.”

            “Babe, we’re drunk and it’s dark.” Otabek laughed. “No way.”

            “Please?”

            “Yura.”

            “Come on, just a little?” Yuri pouted. “It’s our first night here and we haven’t gone in the water at all.”

            “It’s not safe.”

            “How are you responsible even drunk?” Yuri groaned, pushing Otabek off him and standing up. He almost fell at first, but his skating instincts seemed to kick in enough to keep him upright. “I’m getting in, are you coming with?”

            “Yura.” Otabek sighed as he reached up to grab his hand. “We can get in tomorrow. I don’t want you to get hurt.”

            “I’m not gonna get hurt, Beka. It’s just water.” Yuri rolled his eyes and headed across the sand towards the edge of the water. He wouldn’t go in that far or anything and it wasn’t like he was stupid enough to drown himself. Once he stepped in far enough for the waves to lap at his shins, he turned and waved. “Bekaaaa, come on, I’m lonely!”

            Otabek gave a defeated shrug of his shoulders and dropped his shorts to reveal a similar bathing suit before jogging over to join him. “Don’t go too far out, okay?” He said when he grabbed Yuri’s hips again, pressing his lips to both of his cheeks before letting go, so they could wade out.

            The water was just cool enough to be refreshing and not cold, so it was easy for him to walk out through the small waves until the water was to their chests and their feet stayed on the sand. He couldn’t see through the water without light, but the moon reflected off of it and made the whole thing just look so fucking pretty. He wanted to be surrounded by that.

            “Come on.” Yuri said, swimming out a little further while Otabek reluctantly followed. His head was still fuzzy and he felt giggly as the waves started to slightly grow in size, bouncing over them with Otabek like those little buoys people always tied to the ends of their fishing lines. “Carry me.” He said once the water was up to their collarbones, wrapping his legs around Otabek’s hips and his arms around his neck to kiss him. “Isn’t this nice?”

            “Yeah, but we shouldn’t stay.” Otabek said, his voice low lazy, but that familiar look of concern still in his eyes. “Dangerous and stuff.”

            “It’s fiiine.” Yuri leaned their foreheads together and smiled. “We’re on our honeymoon. Let’s just have fun, okay?”

            They picked back up again with their kisses, prodding each other’s mouths open and clinging on to one another as their tongues moved together. Yuri could taste the salt on Otabek’s lips and he wondered how much was from the ocean and how much was from that Margarita. He guided Otabek’s hand down to his ass and pressed close while the waves lapped up to their chins. He didn’t get why Otabek was so worried. The ocean was calm.

            “Let’s go out further.” Yuri mumbled against his lips. “Wanna swim with you.”

            “Babe-“

            “Just a little bit.” Yuri pecked the tip of his nose to try and dispel any worry then let his arms and legs go, so he could swim out a few more feet.

            “Yuri, I’m not gonna go further. Come on, we should head back.”

            “You’re no fun.” He said, swimming out just a little further, so his feet didn’t touch the sand, or the coral beneath him. The waves were gentle and easy to swim over. Even drunk, it wasn’t hard to stay afloat. The water actually seemed to be getting a tiny bit lower anyways. He turned to see if there was any major wave coming, but there was just one a tiny bit bigger than usual, just tall enough that it started to curl at the top. It’d be easier to swim under than jump over he figured.

            “Yuri I’m kind of anxious, can we just head back?”

            Yuri opened his mouth to respond, but the wave was close enough to him that he didn’t have time before ducking under water to avoid it. Shit, it was a lot harder to have control underneath a wave then just gliding over the top of one. The rushing water flipped him into a somersault, spinning him out of his sense of direction. His head felt so fucking heavy he had to open his eyes in the saltwater to look for where up was and by then, his chest already ached with the need to breathe. He forced his lazy muscles to move and kicked his way back to the surface, but as he opened his mouth to gasp for air, another wave knocked right into him, flooding his nose and falling down his throat as he fell back under. Holy fuck, he couldn’t see anything at all and his throat burned with the salt as he kicked his way up again, his vision blurry as he broke above the water in time to see another wave breaking, even taller than before. All of them were curling now when before they’d just been gentle rolls in the water. In a moment of panic, he thought maybe he could jump over it when a strong pair of hands finally grabbed him by the shoulders and he was able to cling to Otabek when the wave hit them both. He wasn’t knocked down so easily with Otabek holding him, but when that one finally passed, he was choking for air.

            “Hold on to me.” Otabek said as Yuri coughed, turning, so he could cling to his back before he pushed their way back towards the shore.

            Nothing had ever burned so bad before and fuck, he really _could_ have drowned. His limbs had just been so slow and he got so easily disoriented. His sinuses ached from the water that had penetrated his nose and mouth and when they finally reached the point where the water was only up to their stomachs, he ran for the sand. “Fuck, _fuck_.” Yuri croaked before falling to his hands and knees and vomiting up an acidic mix of saltwater and alcohol, his chest heaving with panic as Otabek ran up behind him.

            “Are you okay?”

            He shook his head.

            “Jesus, Yuri.”

            “I-I’m sorry.” Yuri said, the fear all welling up in his chest until his lips quivered and he turned to hug Otabek with all the strength he had left. “I was dumb and you were right, but please don’t give me shit because that was so fucking scary, Beka. I-I couldn’t breathe.”

            Otabek didn’t hesitate to hug him back tight. “It’s okay, just catch your breath. You’re fine. I got you and everything’s alright.”

            Yuri hiccupped and let a sob fall out of his mouth as he buried his face in Otabek’s shoulder. He’d never been so afraid in his entire life. Now that he’d puked up some of the alcohol, he felt like an idiot. “I’m sorry.”

            “Don’t be. No one’s hurt.” Otabek kissed the top of his head and gave one final squeeze before pulling back and wiping the tears from Yuri’s already soaked face. “Let’s get our clothes and go back to the cabin, okay? We’ll take a quick shower and snuggle up.”

            He wiped his nose and nodded, trembling slightly as Otabek stood up and held a hand out for Yuri to take.

            His heart didn’t quit racing until they made it back to the cabin, locked the door, and got in the shower. Otabek washed his hair for him and rubbed his shoulders for a few minutes, reassuring him until they stepped out and got ready for bed.

            “You feel okay now?” Otabek asked, Yuri snug against his chest as they half-watched a movie on the TV opposite the bed.

            “Yeah.” Yuri mumbled.

            “Don’t do something stupid like that again.” Otabek sighed. “I don’t even know how I was able to swim us back, I still don’t feel totally sober, but that was way too scary.”

            “I know.” Yuri swallowed, his heart sinking at the thought of how much he must have scared Otabek. Not to mention the fact that he’d put both of them in danger with his dumbass risk taking. “I’m sorry.”

            “I don’t know what I would do without you, Yura. I don’t know what me and Mara would do at all. So don’t be dumb anymore, okay? We need you.” Otabek gave him a squeeze to assure him he wasn’t angry and kissed his forehead before pulling the covers up further. “Can you promise to be less dumb for me?”

            “Yeah.” Yuri laughed a little and nuzzled his cheek against Otabek’s chest through his t-shirt. “I’ll be less dumb. ‘Cause I love you and stuff I guess.”

            “Guess I love you too.” Otabek smiled, taking one of Yuri’s hands from under the covers and bringing it up so he could kiss the wedding ring. “No more drunk diving if you want to keep up your husband material streak.”

            “Mm, fair trade.” Yuri breathed. “Thanks for pulling me out. I know you could have gotten hurt doing that.”

            “Yura, I would never let you get hurt.” Otabek said, his hand stroking down Yuri’s back again. “Even when you’re stupid.”

            Yuri rolled his eyes, but squeezed Otabek tighter anyways. “Guess that’s true love.”

**

            Yuri still felt shaken up in the morning, but he put on a brave face, so he wouldn’t put a damper on anything. They went out to breakfast before heading back to the cabin to get changed for the beach, but when they walked out to the sand, his heart started pounding at the sight of the water.

            Otabek laid the towel out for them and kissed Yuri’s cheek. “You want to go in?”

            “Um.” Yuri swallowed and glanced at the water. It was calmer than last night and there were other people around, but he felt queasy at the sight of each ebbing wave. “I think my food’s still settling. Can we wait a minute?”

            “Sure Baby.” Otabek said with that lovey-dovey smile he’d had since last night. “Sit down, I’ll sunscreen your back.”

            He breathed a sigh of relief and sat down on the towel, letting Otabek sit behind him and massage some sunscreen into his back. It felt good, but he was still nervous. He didn’t want to go in the ocean at all. He felt like he’d drown again.

            “You’re all set.” Otabek said, setting the bottle down on the sand and kissing down Yuri’s neck while his arms wrapped around his waist. “Can’t have my snowflake getting sunburned yeah?”

            Yuri rolled his eyes. He knew Otabek was just being cute, but he didn’t appreciate being called a snowflake anymore than he liked the Russian Fairy nickname.

            “What?” Otabek blinked. “Did I say something?”

            “You don’t have to call me a snowflake.”

            “Yura, I just meant that you’re pale. You burn easy, that’s all.” He pressed a few kisses to Yuri’s shoulder. “Don’t be this way, I want to spend time with you.”

            Yuri’s shoulders just slumped and he felt his heart sink. Everything on this Honeymoon was centered around water. How were they going to do anything if Yuri felt afraid of it now?

            “Seriously, Yuri?” Otabek sighed, taking his arms away and standing up. “I’m gonna go in the water. I don’t want to fight with you on our Honeymoon.” He went to walk towards the water and that sent a surge of panic into Yuri. What if Otabek went in and didn’t come out?

            “Please don’t.” Yuri choked, reaching forward to grab his wrist and pull him back. “I’m sorry.”

            “What’s going on with you?” Otabek frowned as he took his arm away. “You were fine at breakfast and now you’re getting all pissy with me over nothing.”

            “I didn’t mean to be an asshole, but don’t go into the water. Please? I-I feel like I can’t breathe.” Yuri’s eyes welled as he pulled his knees to his chest. “I’m sorry.”

            “What?” Otabek’s expression softened and he knelt back on the towel to look at him. “Hey, talk to me.”

            Yuri stared at him with wide eyes and felt his face turn red with the embarrassment of being scared of something so stupid. “I can’t go in the water a-and I don’t want you to go in because I feel like maybe you won’t come out a-and I don’t want to almost drown again.”

            “Baby, that only happened because you were drunk and couldn’t swim well. Nothing’s gonna happen.” Otabek cupped Yuri’s face in his hands and kissed his forehead. “There’s lifeguards, Babe. It’s daytime now and the ocean’s really calm. There’s nothing to be afraid of.”

            “I-I know, but I feel sick just thinking about going in and I feel terrible because our whole Honeymoon like revolves around the water. W-We’re supposed to go on that snorkel trip and I don’t know how I’m gonna do that even.”

            “Oh Yura, hey. It’s fine. We don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do.” Otabek said, dropping his hands to Yuri’s shoulders and squeezing. “Hey, what about the waterfall yeah? The water isn’t high enough to go above your head, there’s no waves. It’s like a pool, do you think you could do that?”

            “Yeah.” Yuri sniffed. “That doesn’t sound so bad. No waves.”

            “You want to go there instead? It’s really private.” Otabek said, tucking Yuri’s hair back behind his ear.

            “Yeah, let’s go there.” He swallowed. “I’m really sorry.”

            “Don’t be. Everything’s fine. We’re not here for the ocean, yeah? We’re just here to spend time together.” Otabek pulled Yuri up and gave him a quick squeeze just for comfort. “We’ll find plenty of stuff to do. There’s still the spa, yeah?”

            Yuri nodded and smiled when Otabek kissed the top of his head. “You know you’re the best husband ever, right?”

            “I know. Come on, let’s go help you relax.” He took Yuri’s hand when he pulled away and lead him back to the boardwalk, following a few directions on his phone to find the nature trail towards the waterfall. “So to keep it kind of private and romantic, you can check in to the waterfall online. No one’s there right now, so I just checked us in. We’ll have it to ourselves for an hour.”

            “Sounds perfect.” Yuri sighed, kissing Otabek’s shoulder as they walked the nature trail together, the palm trees surrounding them gradually turning into a thicker jungle and the trail turned uphill. The signs took them on the path towards the waterfall, but Yuri made a mental note to take the full hiking trail with Otabek later. “Oh shit is this it?” He gaped when they reached the end of the path. There was a small cliff, but it was high enough for the waterfall to be breathtaking. Water cascaded down from the ledge into a pond that didn’t look too deep, so Yuri wasn’t nervous about going in. The cliff caved in at an angle too, so behind the waterfall, it was like a little cave.

            “Come on.” Otabek said, kicking his sandals off and cocking his head towards the water. “You feel good?”

            “Yeah, I like this place.” Yuri followed him and they waded into the water, walking in until it rose to their chests and leveled out. It was colder than the ocean, but it felt refreshing and he swam around behind the waterfall with Otabek. The fall of the water was thick enough that they couldn’t be seen behind it and his heart thumped at the privacy.

            “Yeah? Come here.” Otabek pulled him close and let Yuri wrap his arms and legs around him, holding him up and kissing his lips while the spray from the waterfall dampened their hair.

            Yuri kissed him back and opened his mouth, letting Otabek hold his ass through the small bathing suit. “Is there a reason we’re not skinny dipping right now?”

            “We’re idiots.” Otabek sighed, nuzzling their noses together before he took one hand away and dipped down to feel him through the thin material of the speedo. “You’re so fucking European.”

            “I know.” Yuri laughed. “What happened to yours? I like your Speedo, but you changed to the trunks today.”

            “It was easier to wear that at night with no one around.”

            “But you’re hot.” Yuri pouted. “Hold on.” He pecked Otabek’s cheek and pulled away, sliding his bathing suit off under the water and holding his hand out. “Give me yours.”

            “Babe, someone could see.”

            Yuri raised his eyebrows and kept his hand out.

            Otabek rolled his eyes and pushed down the trunks, stepping out of them and handing them to Yuri. “Only because the waterfall hides us.”

            “Be right back.” Yuri wiggled his eyebrows at him and swam around the waterfall back to the grass to toss their bathing suits on the ground with the rest of their stuff before rushing back to Otabek. They were totally in the shade under the cliff behind the waterfall and the dim light made it feel a little more private too. “You’re always so shy about your body. I don’t know why.”

            “I don’t know, I just don’t have the same confidence you have. You’re a bit of exhibitionist.” Otabek teased, turning his head and kissing Yuri’s neck when he reached down to take him in his hand.

            “Mm.” He sighed. “You should be too though.”

            “I’m probably going to have a dad bod soon.”

            “Shut up, you’d cry if you lost your abs.”

            “I would.” Otabek laughed, stroking Yuri to a full erection before coming up to give him a proper kiss. “We’re gonna be the hottest dads at the PTA meetings.”

            “You really know how to turn a guy on, Beka.”

            “Tread lightly, Babe. I can bring up that daddy incident any time.”

            “Bekaaaaa.” Yuri groaned, wrapping one arm around Otabek’s shoulders and using his free hand to touch him too. “Don’t be mean.”

            “I gotta say one more time, you _do_ know that I’m not gonna make fun of any kinks you have that you might not have told me about.” His voice was a little breathier as Yuri touched him and he tightened his grip on Yuri’s dick under the water.

            “I don’t have a daddy kink.” Yuri insisted. “It was a dumb thing I said years ago.”

            “I’m just saying.” Otabek shrugged, stopping to rub his thumb around Yuri’s tip until he caved and groaned for him. “You like doing this out here?”

            “Yeah.” He breathed. “I really like it.”

            “I think you’re into public stuff.”

            Yuri’s face warmed and he pressed a little closer to Otabek. “A little.”

            “We could explore that.” Otabek smiled. “In some safe ways of course.”

            “I mean I always really liked doing it at the rink.”

            “Yeah, holy shit. Those shower stalls.” Otabek laughed. “And you’re always handsy at the movies.”

            Yuri’s mouth watered at the memories and he leaned forward to give him a deep kiss, curling his tongue around Otabek’s and whining a little into his mouth when his fist squeezed him. “Can you fuck me in here?” He asked, glancing back at the waterfall to assure it couldn’t be seen through.

            “It’ll be dry, do you want to do that?”

            “It won’t hurt me if you just take your time with your fingers.” Yuri said, nuzzling his nose against Otabek’s. “I want you to fuck me.” He felt Otabek shiver at that and grinned, letting go of his cock, so he could wrap both arms around Otabek’s shoulders and wrap his legs around his waist. “I don’t mind being a little sore.”

            Otabek held him up with one hand and slid the other back to his ass, kissing him with closed lips to comfort him when he started to nudge his index finger inside.

            Yuri winced a little bit and opened his mouth, distracting himself with Otabek’s tongue while his fingers worked to stretch out the tight muscle. He liked that they were still finding new things to do sexually. Otabek still made him so excited. Even right then, his heart was racing as Otabek pulsed his fingertips against his prostate. “Beka.” He breathed, pressing their foreheads together. “I want you.”

            “I want you too Yura, just let me stretch you a little more.”

            “I can do it now.”

            “Just one more minute.” Otabek murmured, kissing him on the corner of his mouth before turning his head to work on his neck.

            Yuri shut his eyes and let the spray of the water mist over his face. The water felt so fucking good, Otabek’s hands still warm in the cold water and he felt like they could be as loud as they wanted with the roar of the waterfall covering them up. He gave Otabek one more minute to stretch him out then hitched up higher and told Otabek again to do it.

            “Tell me if this hurts you.” Otabek said, pressing his tip against Yuri’s entrance under the water. “Lean back a little.”

            He kind of liked being told what to do and complied, leaning back so the angle below was more straight forward and gasping when Otabek pushed in his tip. “Push in a little more.”

            “Doesn’t it hurt you?”

            “A-A little, but if you can get my spot then it’ll be easier.”

            Otabek nodded and pushed in a bit further, pressing a kiss to Yuri’s forehead when he winced. “Tell me if you want to stop.”

            “Just go all the way and let me adjust. It’ll be easier to get used to.”

            Otabek took a deep breath to compose himself and caught Yuri in a kiss as he eased himself all the way in, licking the water droplets off his lips. “You’re so tight, fucking Christ, Yura.” He breathed, his cheeks dusted pink when he pulled back to look at him. “I love your body.”

            Yuri rolled his hips and sighed as Otabek took him in his hand again. “You can move a little bit.”

            “Is this good?” Otabek asked as he pulled out just a little and pushed back in a few times, not even moving halfway out to keep Yuri comfortable.

            “Mm, yeah okay that’s good.” Yuri nodded as Otabek brushed up against his prostate, his thighs twitching a little against Otabek’s hips at the contact. “Fuck.”

            Waterfall sex was at least a hundred times more magical than he thought it was going to be. Once he got past the roughness and opened his eyes, everything just felt a thousand times better. The water accentuated the tingling and Otabek was constantly blushing and stifling moans from the embarrassment of having sex outdoors. It was adorable and he let Otabek hear every moan and whimper that he got the urge to release, letting the waterfall cover up their sounds and relishing in the thrill of being so exposed.

            When they finished, Yuri felt like he kissed Otabek for hours. He just couldn’t let go, but they did eventually start to worry about another couple coming and seeing them, so they waded back out to the grass and put their swimsuits back on.

            “We can forget the beach for today at least. You want to go to the spa and get a massage together?” Otabek asked as they sat on the grass, watching the water for a few extra minutes.

            “I’d love that.” Yuri said, his head leaned on Otabek’s shoulder. “Thank you for being so nice about everything. I know it’s a huge pain in the ass that I don’t want to go in the ocean.”

            “Don’t worry about that. I just want to spend time with you before we expand the family again.” Otabek gave his shoulder a squeeze. “Let’s go do some more shit before the sun sets. I have crazy waterfall sex energy now.”

            “Okay.” Yuri snickered, giving him a nudge in the side before getting up. “Let’s go wrap ourselves in seaweed or some other crazy wellness shit.”

**

            The rest of the honeymoon was magical. They spent two whole days in the spa, had picnics on the beach, fucked in just about every position in the cabin. Yuri even ended up having fun on the snorkel trip. There were no waves and with a life jacket on, he felt comfortable enough to get in the water and Otabek never left his side.

            It was the second to last day before he knew it and they were in the middle of some amazing morning sex when the phone rang.

            “Don’t get it.” Yuri whimpered, his legs wrapped around Otabek’s hips and sweat breaking on his forehead. “Keep going, Beka.”

            “Babe.” He sighed, slowing his hips and looking over at the phone. “It could be Mara.”

            “But I’m like right fucking there.”

            “Then come back down. It’ll be better when I work you back up.” Otabek said, pausing and taking a deep breath before smacking a kiss to Yuri’s cheek and pulling out.

            “Bekaaaa.” Yuri groaned, pouting as Otabek got out of bed and grabbed his phone from the nightstand.

            “Holy shit.”

            “What?”

            “Baby, it’s the adoption agency.”

            “Huh?” Yuri’s eyes bugged. “Answer, answer!”

            Otabek nodded and swiped the screen, sitting back down next to Yuri and covering himself with the comforter when he said hello.

            Yuri watched him with wide eyes and bit his lip as he tried to listen in. That phone speaker was so shitty, he couldn’t even hear the other end of the conversation sitting right next to Otabek.

            “Really?” Otabek asked. “Like right away?”

            “Beka, what is it?”

            He held up one finger. “How desperate? We’re not prepared at all.”

            Yuri’s heart leapt. That meant there was a baby.

            “We can do that.” Otabek nodded. “Let me talk to my husband and call you back right away, okay? Can you hold while we work some things out?” He bit his lip. “Okay. Okay, great. I’ll call back as soon as we have a decision. No more than an hour.” He hung up and looked at Yuri, his face full of excitement and his eyes brighter than everyone. “Babe, there’s a teen mom who wants to give up the baby and they haven’t found a couple yet to adopt it. They’re desperate to get it into a home right away. Her due date’s in two days. We’d have to fly back tonight and throw a nursery together. We don’t have to do this right now if you want to keep waiting, I mean we literally just got married.”

            Yuri’s heart thumped. “They don’t have a home for the baby?”

            “Nope.”

            “Boy or girl?”

            “Boy.” Otabek smiled, reaching up to tuck a lock of Yuri’s hair behind his ear. “What do you think?”

            “Let’s do it.” Yuri grinned. “Let’s go home and get together everything we can. We can paint and decorate when the baby comes, let’s just get a crib and a changing table and all the essentials, let’s fucking do this.”

            “You’re a hundred percent sure?”

            Yuri’s eyes welled up and he nodded, lurching forward to hug Otabek with everything he had. “I want this, Beka.”

            “Okay, let’s do it.” Otabek laughed. “I’ll tell them yes and I’ll find us a flight back for tonight. We’re going to have to scramble, but we have the spare room emptied out. Call Victor and Yuuri, tell them we need all the help we can get.”

            “I love you.” Yuri breathed, pulling him into a deep kiss before he let Otabek pick the phone up again. His heart was racing. A baby boy. Mara would have a little brother and they’d be there in time to see it born.

            Otabek laid back on the bed and held Yuri close as he called and confirmed. They would have to start out with foster parent status, which would just go to Yuri since the gay adoption laws were still in place, but he would get the full adoptive parent status quickly. As soon as he hung up, he booked a flight that would take off in three hours and pinned Yuri back on the mattress to finish what they started.

            It was almost as good as the wedding sex, Yuri’s heart just about ready to burst all the way until they finished together. This was it.

This was their family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you EVERYONE who made it all the way here. The next chapter will be the final one and will be more of an epilogue than a continuation. Essentially: you're at the end here. Thank you so much to every single one of you who read this and I'll have the final epilogue up in the next week. I have plenty of more fics to come so make sure to subscribe and follow me on tumblr under this same username! I'll be participating in Otayuri Olympic Week and I have another fic in progress that I will start posting after I post the epilogue for this one.


	26. Chapter Twenty-Six - Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's finally finished!!!! I hope you guys enjoy this final little chunk aaaa

            The next two days were the most frantic of their lives, but they were both over the moon with happiness. They rushed home from the honeymoon, gave Mara a long talk about the new baby to make sure she was okay with the change, then stayed up a full twenty-four hours to piece a nursery together.

            Victor and Yuuri gave them all of the newborn clothes Yulia had recently grown out of and came over to help them baby proof the whole apartment again. They got a crib together along with a changing table and a diaper genie, some pacifiers and teething rings for when they’d need them. Finally, they stockpiled baby formula and food and put the final touch in the nursery.

            Just when they were leaving Babys ‘R’ Us, Yuri had seen the perfect white rocking chair and they took it home to put in the baby’s room. Thank God, the kid didn’t come early.

            On the day of the baby’s due date, they finally got some sleep, waking up early to drop Mara at school before coming back and collapsing in bed together. There was still a mountain of unopened wedding presents in a corner of their living room, but that would have to wait.

            “Fuck, I’m gonna die if we don’t get some sleep. You put your phone ringer up right? In case she goes into labor?” Yuri yawned as he crawled back into bed with Otabek, hugging him tight and shutting his eyes.

            “I got it, Babe. Just sleep.” Otabek said, kissing the top of his head and breathing a sigh of relief. “I have never been this exhausted.”

            “Mm.” Yuri mumbled. He was already half asleep. As excited as he was, he felt like he’d collapse if they didn’t sleep for at least three hours.

            Just when they were both on the brink of knocking out, Otabek’s phone rang at full volume and they both jumped.

            “If this is Victor, I’m gonna kill someone.” Otabek said as he reached for the phone. “Fuck. Okay, it’s the agency.” He swiped the screen to answer and Yuri jumped out of bed to get his jeans back on, grabbing his phone and the car keys while Otabek spoke on the phone.

            “She’s in labor.” Otabek pulled away from the phone to tell him. “Go set up the car seat.”

            “Got it.” Yuri nodded, running over to smack a kiss against his cheek. “Meet me in the car. Grab the diaper bag with the clothes and things.”

            Otabek nodded and gave Yuri’s shoulder a squeeze before letting him run off to get everything ready.

            Yuri was thankful they’d thought to unbox the seat, so it was easy to grab it and sprint downstairs to get it hooked up in the car. Holy shit, he was tired, but his heart was racing. A baby boy. His _son_. Their lives were about to change forever for the second time. What were they going to name him? Shit, they’d been so busy getting ready that he hadn’t even thought about it.

            He wrestled with the car seat for five minutes before he got it right and Otabek came running down the stairs to the garage.

            “You ready?” Otabek panted, the diaper bag slung over his shoulder. “Who’s driving? I’m kind of freaking out.”

            “I got it, I’ll drive.” Yuri said before rushing over and kissing him, one hand flying up to Otabek’s cheek. “Ready?”

            Otabek took a deep breath and nodded. “Yeah.”

            “Then let’s go.”

            They jumped in the car and Yuri grinned the whole drive to the hospital, heart pounding. He wondered if the baby would be born by the time they arrived, or if they would be allowed in while the mother was in labor.

            Otabek ran right by Yuri’s side when they rushed to the hospital room, a nurse in green scrubs meeting them outside to give them a rundown of what was happening.

            “She’s in labor right now. The baby is due any minute and she said you’re welcome to come in and see and cut the chord if you like.”

            “Really?!” Yuri beamed, his eyes already welling up. “O-Okay, what do we need? Like gloves, or what?”

            “Just a pair of gloves you’ll get from another nurse inside. Just remember, birth is a bit gory, so make sure you’re prepared if you plan to look.” She raised an eyebrow at Otabek who was just about as pale as a ghost, but he insisted he was fine and grabbed Yuri’s hand. “You’re good to go in.”

            The woman inside the room cried out in pain and Yuri winced, but squeezed Otabek’s hand instead of backing off. “Let’s go.” He said, stepping forward and opening the door, so they could quickly step inside and shut it behind him.

            The girl really was young. She looked no older than fifteen with long blonde hair matted to her head with sweat as she sobbed with her feet in stirrups and a doctor between her legs while a nurse dabbed her forehead. Yuri’s heart sank a little at the sight. There was no one there to support her during this whole thing at all and she was practically a kid herself.

            Another nurse in a surgical mask handed them both a pair of plastic gloves and the doctor instructed the mother to push one more time.

            Otabek flinched when she wailed from the pain and grabbed Yuri’s hand. It felt wrong to be watching this.

            “He’s crowning. Rest until the next contraction, he’s almost out.” The doctor said and Yuri’s heart skipped. “Do either of you want to take a look? It’s almost time.” He directed this question at the two of them and Yuri nodded immediately, stretching up to kiss Otabek’s cheek.

            “Stay right here, you don’t have to look.” Yuri murmured, waiting for Otabek to nod before he pulled away to stand by the doctor. He felt nauseous when he first saw all that blood, but he could see the head poking through and he felt like he just couldn’t possibly miss this. This would be the very first time his son would see the world. _Their_ son.

            “Okay, push.” The doctor said and the girl screamed, fisting the bed sheets in her hands as she pushed.

            Yuri forced himself to look down as more of the head emerged and his eyes welled up. The kid practically had a full head of hair, dark brown like Otabek’s.

            One last push and the doctor pulled the baby from between the mother’s legs, it’s tiny mouth opening and wailing at the new environment, still connected at it’s belly button to the umbilical chord.

            Yuri put a hand over his mouth. He couldn’t believe something could just be so tiny and so perfect.

            A nurse handed him a small pair of sterile scissors and showed him where to cut, allowing him to sever the umbilical chord before they took the baby away to the other side of the room to clean it off.

            “Hey.” The girl panted, tears streaking her cheeks as she motioned for both of them to come forward.

            Otabek was quick to rush to Yuri’s side and they walked up to her together, both anxious that she could back out on giving them the baby, but concerned overall for her wellbeing. Could someone so young even safely give birth?

            “You’re the ones taking my baby?”

            “Yeah.” Yuri nodded. “He’ll have a sister and a really great home and parents who love him. I-I know we’re two guys, but-“

            “No, no that’s not it.” She sniffled, shaking her head and reaching out to hold Otabek’s wrist. “ _Thank you_. We thought that he was going to have to do the whole foster system thing, but then they found you guys. Please just tell him who I was. Tell him I loved him when he’s old enough. T-Tell him I did this because I love him.”

            Yuri swallowed the lump in his throat and watched as Otabek leaned down and hugged her.

            “We’ll tell him.” Otabek said, squeezing. “Don’t ever worry for a second, yeah? Here.” He pulled back and tugged his wallet out of his back pocket, handing her one of his cards. “If you have questions about how he’s doing, you can always call us.”

            “Any time.” Yuri nodded in agreement. Visitation may be off limits, but he would never keep the mother from knowing her child was safe.

            They only left her side when the baby was finished being clean and the nurse brought him over to them, swaddled up in a little blue blanket.

            “Who wants to hold him first?”

            “You can hold him, Baby.” Otabek said, his hand on the small of Yuri’s back.

            “O-Okay, yeah.” Yuri stared wide-eyed at the infant and held his arms out, swallowing a sob when he was placed in his arms. “Beka, he’s perfect.” He croaked. “Oh my God, look at him.”

            “Wow.” Otabek laughed. “Look at his hair.”

            “Right?!” Yuri beamed and leaned down to press a gentle kiss to the baby’s forehead while it cried and squirmed around in his arms. “I love him.”

            “Do you have a name?” The nurse asked and Yuri bit his lip.

            “Um…” He glanced down at his watch to see if they’d have to phone someone to pick up Mara and gasped. “Beka.”

            “What’s up?” Otabek blinked. “Is everything okay?”

            “I-I want to name him Nikolai.” Yuri said to the nurse. “Do we have to sign something?”

            “Someone will bring you all the paperwork soon, so just be thinking about it. If you follow me, we’ll bring you to another room and someone will come take the baby for a hearing test and vaccinations.”

            “Got it.” He held the baby close to his chest and stayed close to Otabek when they followed her out, his heart pounding as he looked down at the newborn. His little face was all red and he kept trying to free his tiny hands.

            They went to a small room with two chairs and sat down to wait for the papers and medical tests, Yuri passing the baby over to Otabek so he could hold him.

            “Hey Little Guy.” Otabek laughed, pressing kisses to the baby’s cheeks. “You’re pretty upset, huh? You’re kinda new here, I’d be freaked out too.” He held the baby close and looked over at Yuri with that huge sparkle in his eyes that just melted his heart every time. “So Nikolai huh?”

            “Is that okay?”

            “Of course it is.”

            “We can call him Nick for short.” Yuri said, reaching over to hold one of the baby’s tiny little hands. “I’ll call Victor in a minute, so they can get Mara.”

            “Yeah.” Otabek sighed. “Man, this is crazy. You ever think we’d have two kids?”

            “Nope.” Yuri smiled. “But I’m happy.”

            “Me too.” Otabek leaned in and caught Yuri in a kiss, melding their lips together in a soft embrace that really came close to pushing Yuri to tears. “I love you.” He whispered, going in for another kiss while he held the baby in his arms, his cries settling down to a quiet whine as they kissed. “I am so fucking happy with the choices we’ve made.”

            “You’re gonna make me cry.” Yuri said, nuzzling their noses together and kissing him one more time. “I could not _possibly_ be happier.”

***

            Months went by and they settled into their new life pretty fast. Baby Nick was sleep trained by the time he was three months old and Minako had hired Yuri as a evening and weekend ballet instructor. They had been sure they’d have to retire from competition completely, but as the off season approached, it seemed more and more doable that they’d be able to keep going. In the mornings, they got up to change and feed the baby, took Mara to school and Otabek went to practice, then came home, let Yuri go practice, and picked up Mara while he went to his shift at the dance studio. Yuri didn’t love spending so much time apart, but every night, he came home to dinner on the table, a husband that smothered him in affection, and two kids that made his heart swell every day.

            Their sex life didn’t even take the hit either that Yuri expected it to once the baby was sleep trained and falling asleep by seven. Getting up at five to take care of Nick wasn’t even much of a struggle since they’d been waking up early to skate for most of their lives anyways. Twice a week, they’d put Nick down in the crib with the baby monitor on, read Mara a few stories, give her an hour to fall asleep then lock the bedroom door.

            Yuri was lying in their bed, his clothes scattered over the floor and his thighs wet from Otabek finishing. “I love all of this.” He sighed, rolling over to snuggle into Otabek’s side. “I love you.”

            “I love you too, Yura.” Otabek smiled as he combed his fingers through Yuri’s hair. “Your hair’s getting long again.”

            “Yeah? You like it?”

            “Love it.”

            Yuri nuzzled their noses together and kissed him, tasting the wine they’d had after dinner on his lips. “You know-“ He was cut off by the sharp sound of Nick crying on the baby monitor and laughed, pulling away to clean up and get some clothes on. “I’ll get it. Just put some pants on.”

            “You don’t always have to get it.”

            “I don’t mind. I’m still trying to build more attachment with him, you know? I feel like you’re already pretty good with him. He always stops crying quicker with you.”

            “Aw, he’s attached to you too.”

            “I know, I just want to foster that a little more you know?” Yuri ducked into the bathroom to wipe himself off and came back out to pull on a pair of sweatpants. “Pants, Mister.” He instructed, kissing the top of Otabek’s head before he ran out to get the baby.

“Hey Little Guy.” Yuri grinned when he stepped into the nursery, rushing over to the crib to see Nick squirming around in his little red onezie. He picked him up and held him against his chest, cradling his tiny head and bouncing back and forth. “Man, you’re definitely Russian. It’s twenty degrees and you’re like a warm little marshmallow.”

            Nick whined and beat his tiny fists against Yuri’s chest.

            “I wish you could tell me what’s wrong.”

            The door to the nursery nudged open and Yuri turned around, expecting Otabek, but Mara walked in, rubbing her eyes and holding her doll.

            “Hey you, what’s up?” Yuri frowned, holding Nick against him as he knelt down.

            “I had a bad dream.” She sniffled. “And the baby’s loud.”

            “Aw, he’ll settle down in a minute. You want to come to bed with me?”

            Mara gave a little nod and Yuri kissed the top of her head, standing up to take both kids back to their bedroom.

            “Beka, can I bring the kids in?” He asked, knocking on the door. After Mara had walked in that one time, they’d gotten pretty careful about when the kids were allowed in their room.

            Otabek opened the bedroom door and aww’d at the site. “Hey, the whole gang’s here.” He smiled, bending down to pick up Mara. “What’s up with you?”

            “Bad dream.” She mumbled, hiding her face in Otabek’s neck as the baby started to settle down in Yuri’s arms.

            “Bed’s clean, let’s all just pile in.” Otabek shrugged, giving Yuri a kiss and shutting the door before bringing Mara to bed and leaving space for Yuri and the baby to crawl in.

            “Shh, shh it’s okay.” Yuri cooed as he got into bed and the baby fussed, hugging him close and pressing into Otabek. “There we go.” He smiled when Nick stopped crying. “You guys comfy?”

            “Yes.” Mara peeped, lying on Otabek’s other side.

            “I feel great.” Otabek said as he turned to give Yuri a quick kiss. “This is perfect.”

            “Yeah.” He grinned. It really was. They had two perfect kids, an apartment big enough for all of them. This was probably the best time of his life.

            Yuri held the baby close to his bare chest, so he could feel his heartbeat and turned to smile again at Otabek. “I’ve never been happier.”

            “Me neither.” Otabek said, giving Mara a squeeze and leaning down to kiss the baby’s cheek. “You know what though?”

            “What?”

            Otabek glanced back up at him and nuzzled their noses together before pulling away to look in his eyes, that cheesy smile still plastered on his face. “I think everything’s still uphill from here.”

 

The End.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you made it this far, THANK YOU! This is the longest fic I've ever written and all my readers who got through the whole thing mean the world to me. If you took the time to read this, please consider leading kudos/comments and if you like my work please follow me on tumblr and Instagram! My handle on both is still nuttinonice.

**Author's Note:**

> Don't forget to subscribe if you want to continue!! Let me know what you think too!


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